Possibly Opening Up
by ptkitten
Summary: <html><head></head>Jake is not a big fan of the female race at the moment and Rose is not a big fan of the male race either.  Both have challenging pasts and are constantly battling to overcome them.  What will happen when they meet?  Love, comfort, humor, lemons.</html>
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Twilight, Stephanie Meyer does.**

**Ok, I know that Bella and Edward are usually the standard with these things, but I adore Jake. I just do. He makes me warm and tingly inside. **

**I hope you enjoy!**

JPOV

I don't understand what is so hard to understand about following directions. Seriously. He had one job to do and that was to get to the shop on time to meet with the vendor. Now I had to get on the phone, salvage a business relationship, and set up a time for either the vendor to drive all the way back out here or for us to go out to him. Come to think of it, I think I'll send Paul out there. Make him do it. He got us into this mess, he has to get us out of it.

Paul had been working at my shop in Port Angeles for about six months and, trust me, hiring him was a favor to his brother-in-law Sam. Sam, unlike Paul, was an incredible mechanic and an even more brilliant business man. He helped me make Black Dog Motors the best and most dependable auto and specialty shops in Forks and all the way through to Seattle, actually. So much so, I was able to open a second shop in Port Angeles. But now that Sam's wife, Emily, was almost ready to pop with their first kid, he wanted to be around more for his family. Made sense, sure. Being totally selfish though, it seriously sucked ass. Because that meant Paul would be picking up the hours that Sam gave up. It hurt my brain. I had to do the thinking for both of us. Literally.

Thank goodness Emmett, his brother Edward, and Jasper were around. Those guys kept me sane, that's for sure. We'd known each other since high school and had been fooling around with cars ever since. Eddie took care of more of the sales end of things, I ran the place and did some work when I could, and Emmett and Jazz were two of the best mechanics along with Sam that I have ever known. I think the three of them were the reason Paul was still alive.

After setting things straight with the shops, I headed home. I loved my work and having a shop of my own was a dream come true but, lately, being home was where it was at. I loved being out in the middle of nowhere and I had always wanted to live in a cabin growing up. My place was the grown up version of that and it had become my sanctuary. Just me, my dogs, my truck, and my 65" plasma screen TV. No other complications, thank you. I had tried relationships before and it was too much of a hassle. It was hard for me to take women seriously. All of the women I had dated were hiding one thing or another, or basically weren't being themselves. I hated that. What was the point? Why would you get in a relationship with someone only to find out some five odd years down the line that they're really a completely different person? It was pointless. The set up I had now was just fine. Honest and real.

I pulled up in front of the house and I could hear my dogs barreling around from the back to meet me. My three boys – Dumb Ass, Idiot, and Goof. They were gorgeous Boxers, all rescues, and just complete screw balls. We got along great.

"Come on, guys. Dinner time!" They heard their two favorite words and took off to scramble into the back of the house before I even got to the front door. They knew what they were getting. I, on the other hand, had no idea what I had inside to scrape together for myself. I was a bad planner when it came to cooking. I could cook, don't get me wrong, but I was just lazy.

Just as I walked in the front door, my cell rang. No. No, I'm not going to answer it. I just entered my personal bubble and I don't want to ruin it. _At least check the caller ID._ Fine. _Forks Shop._ See? I knew it. Shit.

"Yeah?" This better be super important.

"Jake, it's Em. Sorry to bug ya , man. But you _had_ to know. Forks has fresh meat." That was Emmett's polite way of saying a new person of the female persuasion moved into town. Emmett was a man whore. Pure and simple. He was hilarious, a good guy, and I loved him like a brother, but he had slept around this town at least three times over. He made it his business to keep track of who moves in and who leaves. I wouldn't be surprised if he kept a journal, he was that organized about it. I had asked him about it once and he basically spelled out his philosophy for me.

"Jake, it's like this. I love women. But there are so many different types of women! I think I might want to settle down one day but how will I know who the right one is if I haven't met them all?" He had a point, but he was missing the point at the same time. You can get to know women without nailing every single one you meet. Am I wrong in this? Besides, there are some girls in town who must have at least a few diseases that there just isn't a cream or a pill for. But Emmett's an equal opportunity… you know. It made me shudder just thinking about it.

"Emmett, I'm sure she'd absolutely _love_ to hear that you refer to her like that. What, did she just move in this morning? An hour ago? How do you know?" This was entertainment for me. Who needed cable, sometimes, when you had Emmett to talk crazy?

"Ok, so I went to the diner to get some coffee to go because I'm working late on this damn clunker for Ben… he should just let this one go, man, the car's shot… Anyway, so I was getting some coffee and there was this vision! Blonde, gorgeous, body to die for. Seriously. I'd kill someone to go out with her _just once!_" Yeah, that would impress her. I set the dogs up with their dinner, freshened their water bowls, and started looking through my cabinets to find something for me as I listened to Emmett ramble on about his estimation of her measurements.

"Emmett, stop. Do you even know if she speaks English? Or have you planned your honeymoon already?" Soup? Eh, not feeling soup. Cereal would just be depressing. Ooh, grilled cheese! Decision made.

"Yes, jackass, I heard her order a cheese burger. With fries! She actually eats! I hate it when women eat salads when they know people are watching them but gorge when they're alone…" And my last root beer. How's my ice? Yeah, low on ice. I need to go to the store tomorrow. "Dude, are you even listening?" Shit. No, I wasn't.

"Sorry, Em. I'm trying to figure out what to have for dinner, I'm starving. So she eats. That's awesome. Did you talk to her?"

"Of course. Who do you think you're talking to?" Yeah, huh? What was I thinking?

"Sorry, sorry. So? And?" Humoring Emmett could be fun sometimes but difficult when you're hungry.

"Yeah… she blew me off. But that's ok! This is her first day. Give her some time to settle in, relax, and start to hear the word on the street when it comes to _The Emmett Cullen._" Ooooh yeah.

"Em, I don't know if that's really the road you want to take with someone new. Do you really want her to know your history? Let alone the fact that you have a reputation _on the street._ Do you honestly think that's a good thing?" I was trying not to laugh but it was getting more and more difficult.

"Whatever. Anyway, what's your problem, dude? You never date anymore! Everyone in town is starting to wonder about your celibacy. What's the deal? Lighten up and have some fun!" Ugh.

"I don't know, Em. I just have a lot of things on my plate and a relationship isn't one of them. Besides everyone has different ideas about what's fun, you know that." I didn't like the direction this conversation was going, meaning we were talking about me. So I tried to cut the conversation short.

"Look, Em, I'd love to hear the rest of this story but my stomach is starting to digest itself. Can we talk about this later?" I hope he understood because it was either that or make him feel bad. And I didn't have the heart to do that.

"Yeah, yeah, ok. But seriously, Jake, we're talking _choice!_ She hasn't heard the last of me. Have a good one, man, and I'll see you, what? Monday?" Weekends were beautiful things.

"Yup, Monday morning. Bright and early. See ya, man."

"Yeah, later." Sigh. Well, at least I had some comic relief for tonight. That poor girl. She had no idea what he was getting herself into.

I woke up the next morning with sunlight streaming into my bedroom through the floor-to-ceiling windows. What was going on? Was I still in Forks? This had to be a good omen. Today was going to be a good day. I got out of bed and scuffed into the kitchen to start some coffee. Having nothing planned for today, it felt like heaven. I decided to go for a run after I got back from the store so I fixed a small breakfast and glanced through the paper. Nothing but bad news overseas, crazy-ass bastards trying to tear down the working man all over the country, and some dick in town decided to go on a stereo-stealing rampage. I tossed the paper in the recycle bin and finished my coffee in silence and with nothing but my thoughts.

My truck plowed up the long winding road to my cabin in no time, I hopped out, and grabbed my groceries from the back. Finally the boys made their first appearance of the morning. It was weird that I didn't see or hear from them earlier, but I thought nothing of it. Hopefully, they didn't kill anything I'd have to apologize for. No, they were good dogs. Just not the best judges of propriety.

The air was cool and crisp and absolutely perfect for a morning run on the trails through the woods. My breath fogged as I ran, the sweat on the back of my shirt stung cold against my skin, but my muscles felt great. The dogs always loved the runs too. They didn't always keep pace with me, often wandering off to explore, but they met up with me eventually. Suddenly, though, they screeched to a halt, their tails shot up straight, their ears all pricked in the same direction, and then all three darted off to chase… something. Usually, it wouldn't bother me, but I heard barking in the distance. Holy hell.

"Dumb Ass! Idiot! Goof! No! _No!_ Come! Aw shit." I ran after them, picking up my pace to a sprint. Then I panicked because I heard a woman's voice in the distance as well calling to her dogs. No, no, no! Who else is up here? I'm the only one around for miles, aren't I? I ran into a clearing to find my crazy dogs playing with two very large and impressive German Shepherds, and jumping up on a tall blonde.

"Dumb Ass! Idiot! Goof! _NO!_ Come. _Now!_" They immediately stopped what they were doing and trotted back to me with their heads hanging and tails between their legs. Yeah, they better be sorry. I ordered them to sit as I ran to the woman to check to see if she was hurt. She turned to face me, laughing.

"What did you call me?" _Danger Zone_. She was beautiful. I'm pretty sure I stared at her while I tried to think of something intelligent to say but all I could come up with was,

"Oh, hi." _That was profound, Jake. You're such an ass._ "No, sorry. Those are my dogs. That's Dumb Ass, that's Idiot, and that's Goof. Did they hurt you? We were out for a run and… are you ok?" Her hair shined in the sunlight, her brown eyes were so warm and deep as she giggled at me. She wore jeans that weren't too tight (I actually hated that, it couldn't be comfortable for them) but showed off her amazing everything, hiking boots, and a broken in Marine Corps t-shirt. The back of the shirt had a large insignia on it for the Third Battalion Seventh Marines, complete with a Kabar. You had to know someone to have a shirt be that specific. Hmm.

"No, I'm fine, it's good to see them again. Eric and Godric seemed to get along great with them earlier this morning. They're great dogs! My name's Rose." She held out her hand to shake mine but I was frozen in place. So that's where these monsters were earlier. _And they didn't bring you along?_ Asses. Oh hell, she was still holding her hand out. What was happening to me?

"Sorry, I'm Jake. Jake Black. My place is down the hill a ways. Are you, uh…" I didn't want to seem too stalkerish. If she volunteered the information, that was great. If not, it wasn't my business. _Shit, man, I hope she does._ Seriously, what was happening to me? Where was my rough callous exterior? I'm sure I'm coming across like a slobbery puppy. Pull yourself together, man.

"I just moved in up the drive from out of town. It's absolutely beautiful here." I was starting to relax but, suddenly, there were so many questions I wanted to ask her. Again, I tried to keep the stalker factor to a minimum.

"Oh yeah? That's great. Yeah, that place has been empty for a while. It's been begging to be fixed up and lived in again. Where are you in from, if you don't mind me asking?" Talking to her was getting easier for some reason. Something about her was putting me at ease and it was a relief. I loved where I lived and, with her moving in so close, I didn't want to feel fenced in. My boys were getting restless by my side wanting to play with her dogs. I let them go and they were having the best time. Sometimes, the dogs know best.

"California. I'm a vet and I was working in connection with the program at UC Davis. I needed a change in scenery, I guess. Have you been here long?" Vet, huh? She's smart. And UC Davis was nothing to sneeze at. Interesting, the plot thickens. Goof walked back to me to be scratched and I got him in the spot right above the bridge of his nose as he liked.

"Forks, born and raised. Sad, I know. But I love it here. My family and friends are here, my business. It's my home." I felt exposed all of a sudden, I rarely spoke so openly with a stranger so quickly let alone an incredibly gorgeous woman. I looked down at Goof and tried to focus most of my attention on him and his ears. Hopefully that masked my embarrassment. She spoke in a softer tone than she had before.

"Wow, I'm jealous. I wish I felt that way about where I'm from. I seem to feel relieved whenever I leave a place that I've lived in for a while. I don't know, though. There's something about this place. Maybe it'll be different here." Now she was the one looking lost in thought. _I think we've touched a nerve here, my man._

"Forks has it's ways if you let it, Rose. Well, like I said, I'm just down the hill a bit, about two miles or so. It's the first place you'll see heading down the road. Let me know if you need anything, ok? Besides, the boys seem to have become huge fans of yours. See you around?" I honestly hoped so. She seemed really nice, but had a little sadness in her. I couldn't imagine what it might be from but I chose not to think about it too much.

"I appreciate it, Jake, thanks. You've actually restored my faith in this place. I got hit on by the biggest sleaze yesterday in the diner. It was sad. I'll definitely be seeing you around. Enjoy your run!" She was the _fresh meat_ Emmett was talking about! I almost choked on my spit trying to conceal this realization from her. We waved, I called the boys, and resumed our run back to the house. My mind was racing. She was unlike any woman I'd ever met. Sure we'd only talked for all of about ten minutes but still. As I headed into the house, I took off my sweaty t-shirt and kicked off my shoes and socks, and noticed that I was smiling. _Shit._

RPOV

Forks, Washington. Hm, we'll see. It was the farthest place I could go to get away from Davis that was close to the Pacific. Growing up in Southern California, the ocean was in my blood and being too far from it for an extended period of time became physically painful. Plus, it was a great opportunity to work not only in the vet clinic in town, but also in connection with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in their research section for large game. It would be a huge departure for me from the horses and cows I was used to but that was what I was looking for. Something completely different.

I didn't bring a lot of my stuff up with me either. The money I got from selling most of it pretty much paid for the rest of my shipping and moving costs. In my eyes, it was a win-win. I figured that the most fitting thing to do with a new place in a new state would be new furniture. Completely new surroundings. Start fresh. I liked the shopping part anyway. And the house's general state of disrepair gave me the opportunity to make it my own too. I had a good feeling about this place.

The area itself was foreign to me. Everything around me was lush and green, the air was fresh and crisp all the time, and things were clean. The woods were enormous and it felt comforting to be living in a place that was nestled in the middle of it rather than in town. Even though I was pretty much on my own up there, I still felt protected. Sheltered and hidden from outside forces. Davis wasn't like that. Not that it was the complete opposite, but there was a completely different feel. It was definitely rural (they were the Aggies, after all), and the land was beautiful in it's own way. But it was wide open and flat. I felt exposed and alone even though I had made quite a few friends there. It was a college town which made things interesting but you had to travel about thirty to forty-five minutes to reach some semblance of civilization in Sacramento. It was there that I discovered that there was actually a portion of the population that labeled themselves, "River Folk." Mullets and gun racks were the norm and they cooled their beer by tying a six pack to a rope and dropping it in the river. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it just wasn't me. Forks was a welcomed change from the dry dusty farmland in the spring and boiling summer and fall, and the frigid flooding hell of winter.

I might have spoken too soon. I had gone to the diner in town for a bite to eat before I went to the grocery store to stock my kitchen and pantry. Grocery shopping on an empty stomach is never a good idea. Anyway, I was sitting in a small booth minding my own business, like I do, and this guy came sauntering up to my table just after I ordered. He was attractive, yes, but he acted as though I should be impressed just by looking at him. Was this guy serious? All I wanted to do was take in the town in peace and _on my own_ but this joker was having nothing of it. His tone of voice made me slightly ill.

"Well, hello! I thought I knew every beautiful woman within a fifty mile radius. How did you slip through the cracks?" Gross. He was obviously a big fish in a small pond who desperately needed to be dumped in the ocean and be taught a few things. I didn't respond to him, I only looked at him with a very annoyed look on my face. Hopefully he got my meaning. Apparently not.

"My name's Emmett. With you being new in town, you're going to need someone to show you around. Here's my number." He handed me a small cocktail napkin with his name and number scrawled on it in what looked like a child's handwriting. I looked at it and handed it back to him.

"No, thanks. I can find my own way around. A small town like this shouldn't be too hard to figure out. Like you, for example." Too harsh? I didn't care, I was hungry and I had started to like it here until he tried to ruin it for me.

"I see. Well, take my number anyway. You'll change your mind. They always do. Enjoy your burger." Oh gag. I wasn't hungry anymore. That sucked too because I didn't really go for left over burgers. Dick. When the food came, I took a few bites and asked for a to-go box. I made my way out to my truck determined to give this place a legitimate chance. It couldn't be this gorgeous for nothing. Plus, no one should be able to find me here.

_It was getting close to midnight at Twenty-Nine Palms, and I wasn't supposed to be there. He smuggled me in. The smell of alcohol and cigarettes mixed with the dry wind shearing through the desert. This was an unholy place. "I can't talk to her the way I can talk to you… she's sleeping with some other guy right now, my cousin told me… I love her but I'm in love with you." Feeling the touch of his fingers and his breath on my skin, the giggling and whispering into each other's ears. No. No! Wait! _

The next morning, I was up early preparing the house for some of my furniture to be delivered later this afternoon. I was still having those dreams. It had been two years, what was my problem? I decided to immerse myself in the house and try to forget. It would be hard but I hoped that, being in a new environment, it would be an easier process. I had already done some painting and refinishing in the critical places like the bedroom and the living room. Everything else could wait but I needed a place to sleep and a place to unwind when I wasn't sleeping. It made perfect sense to me. I fed my beautiful boys their breakfast and started something for myself while they ate. Eric and Godric were my babies and I had raised them since they were born. They were rescued from a hit and run accident. Some asshole hit their mother who was pregnant with six puppies. These two were the only ones we could save. I did the surgery so I got attached just like they say you shouldn't. But I couldn't help it. They were so helpless and innocent, I was determined to show them the unconditional love they deserved rather than being handed off to some random people who would just probably sell them. And they grew up into the fine specimens they are today, gorgeous German Shepherds. So proud, strong, and protective while being loving and playful when they wanted to. They were better than a boyfriend. They didn't rationalize and they didn't leave.

The sun was still in the process of rising and Eric, Godric, and I were outside as I cleared space for the delivery truck. Though no one had lived in this house for a while, the previous owners had left a crap-load of stuff behind. Random stuff too like rotted out wooden boards, old boxes with old paint cans and useless brushes, old curtains (I know!)… just crap. But the bones of the place were awesome. Two stories, stone fireplace, a large deck, and lots of windows. Everywhere I looked, I saw trees. And it was beautiful. As I was filling one of those trash trailers, I heard barking that wasn't coming from my boys. Eric and Gordric perked their ears in the direction of the barking and took a defensive stance in front of me. Three gorgeous Boxers came through the woods and approached cautiously. You could tell they were well trained and were just interested in the new scents they were finding. I gave my boys the clear to explore but carefully.

"Eric, Godric, _gentle!" _Their tails didn't come down all the way but they were getting there, the Boxers reacted in kind and I witnessed instant friendship created before my eyes. Dogs were such simple creatures. I wished humans could take some lessons from them. The world would be a much kinder place. The Boxers approached me slowly escorted closely by my dogs and they were so sweet! Whoever owned them showed them a huge amount of love and care. You could tell a lot about a person by their dogs and I just knew that whoever this person was had to have a kind heart. I looked forward to meeting their human. All of a sudden, as if they heard a silent alert of some kind, they all stopped and then darted back into the woods in the direction they came from. I had a feeling we'd see them again soon.

The Boxers didn't disappoint! About an hour later when I was checking the rest of the drive for stray crap, I heard the same sound of trotting paws coming through the woods, Eric and Godric pricked their ears and started wagging their tails in anticipation of seeing their new friends again. I hoped they didn't come alone this time. The Boxers came bounding into the clearing and resumed the play they left just an hour before. They ran to me as well, jumping up and licking me as I scratched them and ran my hands over their short soft coats. I heard yelling in the distance, though, and it was the voice of a man. Oh great. After about a minute, a young man about my age with bronze skin sprinted into the clearing and called his dogs to him with impressive authority.

"Dumb Ass! Idiot! Goof! _NO!_ Come. _Now!_" Like I said, his dogs were well trained. They stopped immediately and ran to his side showing remorse for getting way from him. The names he called out better be his dog's names and, thankfully, they were. They weren't the most flattering but it's not like the dogs could tell. That made me smile. A sense of humor was always a good thing. And also as I said before, based on his dogs, he had to be a good guy. The dogs were too loving for him not to be. So I gave him the benefit of the doubt by introducing myself. Jake Black. I liked it. Very rugged. He was kinda staring, though. I was used to it but, with him, it was different. I could tell he was trying to stop and focus on me instead of what was under my clothes. That was rare. It didn't escape my notice, either, that he was super cute. Bordering on hot, to be honest. But girls can hide their ogling better than guys can. We just can. Conversation got easier between us as we went along and I realized toward the end that I enjoyed talking to him! I was enjoying a conversation with a man! There had to be a catch. _Be careful, Rose. Just be careful._ But he made to leave first, offered his help politely, and left with his dogs in tow. _Sure I watched him run away and admired the view but I'm not made of wood._ I think I'm definitely going to make an effort to see Jake again. He was definitely a huge plus in Forks' favor.


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own Twilight, Stephanie Meyer does.**

**Yay Team Jacob people! I'm slowly falling in love with these characters, they're so tortured and have so much baggage it's not even funny. I know a bunch of people can relate. So thanks, everyone, for following this story. Reviews and comments are my crack so, please! Let me know what you think!**

**Can I get a **_**HELL YEAH!**_** for the Chicago Bulls who took the series against the Indiana Pacers? Next!**

**I'll shut up now.**

Ch 2

JPOV

The next morning, I rolled into work exhausted. I didn't sleep that well because I couldn't get my mind off Rose. How did this happen? I was doing so well, or at least I thought I was. My mind was trying to make sense of everything that had happened in the last couple years and that frame of mind was familiar. It was comfortable and I knew what to expect from it. But then meeting Rose turned all that on it's ass. Suddenly all those reservations didn't apply with her. But why the hell not? I had no idea what was so different about her. No one else had made me want to change my mind before. Let alone after a ten minute conversation. I was finally able to fall asleep once I decided to not think about it and not think of her as a woman. Avoidance._ Yeah, that was really going to work with her being your neighbor and all. And looking like she does… and her hair and voice the way it is… and her friendliness and kindness..._ Shut up. Needless to say, I only got about three hours of sleep and I was a cranky bastard when I didn't sleep well. I picked up some coffee on the way in and trudged into my office, slamming my door, hoping that everyone got the point that today was not the day to poke this bear with a stick. Of course some people weren't very perceptive. There was a light knock on the door and Paul poked his head in.

"Morning, boss. Bad night?" _Murder is a crime, murder is a crime, murder is a crime_… I let my head drop onto my desk, rolling my head back and forth on my forehead, and cradling my cup of coffee that was still on the desk.

"Paul, I'll give you fifty dollars to _not_ speak to me today. Do you think you could do that for me?" That wasn't rude, was it? It sounded polite.

"Uh, sure?" I reached into my pocket, grabbed my wallet, and fished fifty dollars out of it. Handing it to him without lifting my head from the desk, I grabbed his arm as he reached to take the money.

"If you forget our agreement or if I think you look like you're going to forget, I _will_ put my hands on you. Is that clear?" I didn't hear anything so I assumed his silence was starting now. Good man. "Thank you. We'll revisit this agreement tomorrow." And he left my office in one piece.

The rest of the morning went smoothly but it was hard to keep my eyes open. Luckily, there was some extra work that needed doing in the shop so I took off my flannel and headed out to get dirty. Working on cars and motorcycles always cleared my head for some reason. The rest of the guys were making me laugh with the highlights from Tosh.0 that I missed last night and then Jasper surprised me with one of his stand-up shows on his iPod. We hooked it up to the stereo and I laughed until I cried. Daniel Tosh was fucking hilarious and I needed a laugh today. It kept me awake. Just then, Emmett hopped up, whistled toward the front of the shop, and jogged off. What the hell? Probably some new conquest or one of the women he had this past weekend dropping by for a conjugal visit. I looked up in time to see a flash of blonde hair getting out of an old Dodge Ramcharger that had been restored to beautiful perfection. No way, it couldn't be. I walked slowly toward the front of the shop and saw Emmett practically stalking Rose and I was suddenly furious.

"Emmett, heel! We need to get that bike out by this afternoon. Do you mind?" Emmett flashed me an evil glance and mouthed "cock-blocker" to me as he passed. Rose looked at me stunned but with a slight smile on her face.

"Jake? What are you… Oh, _Black_ Dog Motors. I get it. Wait. _You know that guy?_ That's the sleaze I was telling you about from the diner! He works for you?" Oh crap, how was I going to explain this without seeming like a dick. Hell, it wasn't my fault Emmett was a jackass. Truth is always the best policy.

"Yeah, this is my shop. And I do know that guy, he's one of my good friends. And, yes, he works for me. He's really not a bad guy, he's just a man-whore. Are you alright? Did he say something? Do I have to kick his ass?" I thought that was good and honest. Her smile widened a bit and she shook her head.

"No, he didn't say anything that would scar me for life and you don't have to kick his ass. Though it might be fun to watch! Rain-check?" I had to laugh at that. I was liking how her mind worked.

"Let's go in my office and get out of the rain, what do you say?" She smiled and followed me closely. As we walked through the shop, everybody stopped working to stare at Rose. It was understandable but so not cool. Rose deserved more than that.

"Come on guys, deadlines?" They begrudgingly returned to what they were doing but didn't take their eyes off her. That must get old really fast.

"Sorry about that, they can be assholes. Was that your Ramcharger outside? I'm jealous! I wish I could have helped you restore it, it's beautiful." It _was_ nice and I was surprised, very pleasantly surprised, that it was hers.

"Yeah, she's my baby. I wanted to get a once-over done? The basics, y'know. Oil change, check the brakes, tire rotation. I changed the air filter myself this morning and the battery too so I don't need those. I didn't know this was your place, Jake. It's nice!" Was she kidding me with this? Rose was full of surprises and I liked them all so far.

"Sure I can do that for you and thanks. Do you want to wait for it or come back later? Do you need a ride?" At first I wanted to suck those words back into my mouth but then I thought better of it. This is your job, you're being you. Remember, she's Rose, she's not a woman. She's Rose, she's not a woman.

"I guess I'll wait. Actually, I was thinking about going over to the diner to get something for lunch. Would you like to join me? Or are you too busy? You're probably busy, I'm sorry… I'll uh…" Was she pausing in embarrassment? Was she _flustered?_ Don't think about it. You're hungry, right? Just go have lunch with Rose.

"Sure, lunch sounds great. I'm starving actually. One of the guys will have it done for us by the time we get back." I saw her smile fully for the first time and I couldn't help but smile back. Part of me was anxious about being with Rose but the other part of me was excited about being with her. I was looking forward to getting to know her better. Again, unfamiliar optimism without expectation. It was nice for a change.

I grabbed my flannel and we headed out of the shop toward my car. The rain had pretty much stopped and it didn't look like we'd be getting any more for a while.

"Looks like the rain has stopped, Rose. What do you think about walking?" She smiled widely again and nodded in agreement. She had a great smile and it was cool that it came so easily to her. Smiling wasn't my go-to expression. People usually said I looked pissed off all the time. Either pissed off or in pain. Truth is, I usually am. So they're perceptive.

We walked up the sloped drive up to the main road and made to cross the street. Some jackass sped out of the next drive way down and almost clipped Rose and me. I instinctively stepped forward and threw my arm in front of her to keep her from continuing into the street, wrapping my hand around her hip. She took in a sharp breath, huddled in close to my body, and clutched my arm against her chest. We stayed like that for more than a few seconds to catch our breaths and to realize what almost happened. Shit, that was close. My heart was racing so hard and fast, I was convinced anyone would be able to hear it through my chest. Then it dawned on me that I still had my arm around her waist from the front and holding her to me by the small of her back and that she was holding onto my arm for dear life with one arm and had the other wrapped around my waist. I could feel her heartbeat against my back and her breath against the skin on my neck. _Seriously? You almost just died and this is where your mind goes?_ I couldn't help it. It had been so long since I had been this close to someone, my body just reacted like any normal red-blooded male would. I let my grip on her loosen slowly and she did as well. I turned to her and took her face in my hands to look in her eyes. _Yeah, that's too much. We can't take too much of that while trying to be respectful_. My hands then moved to her shoulders and arms.

"Jesus, Rose, are you ok? That was _so_ close. Did I hurt you?" She still had a bewildered look on her face, obviously still shaken. She shook her head slightly and eventually spoke.

"No, I'm ok. You didn't hurt me. Thank God, Jake. Thank God you were here!" And she pulled me into a firm hug, her chest still heaving from the scare. Holy Christ, was she trying to kill me? I returned her hug without thinking and was able to bury my face in her hair. Oh man, I didn't know what that scent was but I wanted to roll around in it. She felt so soft against me and I didn't want to let her go. Then… I remembered what we were supposed to be doing before we were almost killed. _Lunch. Let's just go eat lunch before you maul her in public._

"It's alright, Rose. C'mon, let's go get something to eat." She released me from the hug and held onto my elbow as I shoved my hands down into my pockets pretending to warm them. To be honest, if I didn't do that, I would have let my hand roam unsupervised over her back and who knows what else.

RPOV

I woke up feeling refreshed. My dreams weren't plagued by scenes of the desert or by soft whispers last night. Instead, I was surrounded by trees with a steady wind blowing through them, a light rain hanging in the air. I was filled with a sense of calm and safety and I remember trying to stay asleep to keep that feeling with me for as long as possible. When I awoke, however, I noticed that it was actually raining outside and the wind was blowing through the trees. Eric and Godric were laying quietly next to me, patiently waiting for me to wake up. I rolled over and buried my face in the thick fur of Eric's neck. This was the best morning I had had in a long time. And I laid there for a good while before I ventured out of my warm and cozy bed, my grumbling stomach was becoming very demanding. I sat up at the edge of my bed and the boys leapt down, racing for the kitchen.

I looked out the front window of the house staring at my truck knowing it needed to be checked out after the long trek up here to the great middle-of-nowhere. I noticed a garage off the main road as I drove into town so I decided to make that my goal for today. I also decided, however, that I would take care of the air filter and the battery on my own. Those were things I could do easily and I didn't see the point of paying someone to do something I was perfectly capable of doing myself. I didn't feel like getting unnecessarily dirty today, though, so I'd leave the oil change for them. Give 'em something to do, right? Right.

It was pouring by the time I started to head out for the garage. This was the first substantial rain since I moved here. Up until now, it had been just sprinkles, light rains and the like. But this was more like it. This was _rain_. No joke. It was awesome. I pulled into the lot for the garage, got out of the truck, and was almost immediately accosted by the sleaze ball from the diner. Shit. Seriously? I was having the greatest day so far and he was going to ruin it if he acted like he had the last time we had met.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away for long. Let me know who told you I worked here so I can thank them." Then he winked at me. So horrid! What person under the age of seventy winks anymore? This guy. Thankfully, someone called after him forcing him to abandon his weak attempt at being suave. This guy made me want to take another shower. I turned to see who saved me and found Jake walking toward me and shooting Emmett a death-glare. Thank God. And shit, Jake looked good. His skin glistened with sweat from working in the shop, grease smudges on his hands and arms. Now, as he was walking toward me in the rain, it took a great deal of restraint to not just lick him. Seeing him totally made up for this most recent Emmett encounter. _Growl._ Yep, I growled. He was just so damn delicious! Tall, dark, and handsome definitely did it for me. _Down girl._ We went to his office to get out of the rain and he apologized for the rest of the guys in the shop staring at me. That kind of thing really didn't bother me anymore. I was able to tune it out pretty easily. It was only when guys invaded my personal space, like Emmett did, that I had a problem and usually let my acid tongue put them in their place. The problem was, however, I had only met one man who didn't approach me like that and took the time to get to know me for who I was. Only one. And he left to keep a promise. He didn't want to, he was honestly conflicted, no bullshit. But he left, still, leaving me to deal with more of the same crap as before he came into my life. Though it was years ago, the feeling was still fresh in my mind. Hell, the feeling was still fresh in my entire body. I had ached for him ever since, the hole still gaping inside me, no one ever coming close to filling it again. Until Jake. Similar feelings were being stirred up again and it scared the shit out of me. So there was this bitter tug-of-war in my heart between letting me feel those things again (add in the sex drive of a jungle cat), and the crippling fear of going through the greatest pain I had ever experienced in my life. To say I was conflicted would be an understatement. Honestly, I hoped I could just forget everything that happened before and just move on. But fear is a powerful thing. Deep sigh.

I decided to just let what happened happen while paying close attention to my insecurities. Of course I told myself that, but letting it actually happen was different. I was a walking mystery. And I was hungry. I brought up the idea of lunch and, when I did, Jake looked scared! I tried to back-track but I couldn't rescind an invitation. Was it an invitation? Crap, I had no idea. At this point, I didn't even know what my name was. Thankfully, he agreed, and we started out of the shop. The rain had stopped and we decided to walk. The diner was only across the street and down a few blocks anyway. I loved the smell of asphalt after it rained. Don't ask me why, I know it's weird but it just makes me happy. As I was about to cross the street, however, I almost died. No, literally. I almost died. First I was walking, then Jake became a human seat belt. His arm shot out in front of me, his hand gripping my hip and pulling me behind him and into his body. That's when I saw the car almost spin out and squeal down the street, weaving through traffic. I was clutching Jake's arm and had a death grip around his waist. Ok so let's take a moment here to let this scene sink in. Huge protective factor, yes. Strong? Oh yes. His arm was rock sold and his entire body felt like he was ready for a prize fight against a really big person. And I was so close to him… that alone almost made me pass out. He smelled _so good!_ It was a heavenly mixture of soap, laundry detergent, and man sweat. Holy hell. Hot? Can I get a HELL YES? That and I was actually scared. My heart was beating a mile a minute and I was trying very hard to not cry like a little girl. He slowly loosened his grip on me, which was heavenly by the way, and turned to take my face gently between his hands. His eyes were so warm and concerned, it seemed like we were both there transfixed for hours until he moved his hands down to my shoulders and arms, saying something about hurting me. All I knew was that I had to be the only person in the world who can be scared for her life and incredibly turned on at the same time. I had to say something to bring me back to the present.

"No, I'm ok. You didn't hurt me. Thank God, Jake. Thank God you were here!" And I hugged him. I couldn't help it. He saved my life and his main concern was about whether or not he had hurt me in the process. Is he determined to make my life difficult? Apparently so because the rest of the walk to the diner, he kept his hands in his pockets so all I could do was wrap my hand around his elbow. All the adrenaline had been transformed into unbridled sexual energy. Poor Jake. I didn't know if I'd be able to keep myself in check during lunch. I didn't even know if I was hungry anymore. I think all the blood had drained from my extremities for the fight/flight thing to my low. I was being ruled by it now and I knew I was blushing. Jake just happened to pick that moment to look at me to check if I was still alright.

"Rose? Is everything ok? You're flushed. Are you sick? Maybe we should skip lunch." Yeah, I think that was a good idea. Especially if he didn't want me to attack him in the diner.

"Yeah, I'm not really hungry anymore. I'm sorry, Jake. I don't know if I'd be able to hold anything down if I ate." Also true. I was actually starting to feel a bit ill, to be honest. Maybe the blood was redistributing itself again.

"No, don't apologize! I'll take you home. Do you have anything at home for when you get hungry later? Can I pick up anything for you?" Where did this man come from? Was he real? I reached out and touched his arm to make sure, playing it off as a friendly gesture.

"I'm sure I can come up with something and I would really appreciate a ride. Are you sure you have time? I don't want to take you away from the shop." Now that really was a genuine statement. I didn't want to interfere with his responsibilities.

"The benefits of owning the place, Miss Rose. C'mon, let's get you home." We walked back to the garage, his arm around my waist now, and I welcomed the contact. He was body was so warm and he was so caring, I was instantly put at ease. The guys in the garage stared at us but more so at Jake now, especially when he helped me into his truck. I had no idea what they might be thinking but I didn't care. He said something to them that I couldn't hear and they all snapped their heads back to what they had been doing. Jake was a leader, that was for sure. Damn, that was sexy. _Can it, Rose._ What? It was. This truck was sexy too. It was huge and huge for a reason, you could tell it was used often and in a not-so-gentle way. Sexy. _Honestly. You still have to make it through the drive home with this guy._ Right. He finally climbed in and we were on our way and the CD automatically kicked in. A smile spread quickly across my face, hearing Korn's "Coming Undone" blasting from the speakers. He quickly turned it off, blushing.

"Sorry about that, Rose." He looked embarrassed.

"Don't be, I love Korn. They're great in concert." He turned to look at me with an amazed and fascinated look on his face, his mouth gaping open. I reached over and nudged underneath his chin with my index finger, flashing him a bright smile.

"You've seen them live? Seriously? You _like them?_" Why was this so hard to believe?

"Of course! I saw them in San Francisco for the Summer Sanitarium Tour with Metallica and System of a Down in 2000." His eyes returned to the road but his jaw had dropped open again. I figured I'd let him take care of that this time because I wasn't sure I could stop with just touching his chin.

"Wow, Rose. I'm jealous. And Metallica too? In San Francisco, no less? Holy shit. That must have been an awesome show." He looked lost in thought for a while. "You intrigue me, Rose. More and more." We just smiled at each other and enjoyed the rest of the drive to my place with Korn playing in the background. I intrigue him? Awesome. When we arrived at my house, I found myself moving slowly to get out of the car. Not to make my time with Jake last longer, but because I was really starting to not feel well. Jake was at my door waiting to help me out of the car and when I took my first step, I stumbled, my legs almost crumbling underneath me. What the hell? Was this shock? As much as I was enjoying the Jake-time, this so wasn't cool and I hated the fuzzy feeling. Before I knew it, Jake had scooped me up into his arms, grabbed my keys, and let us quickly into my house. He spun around slowly trying to decide on a good place to set me down. All I could do was wrap my arms around his neck and rest my head against is chest. I felt dizzy and clammy and just wanted to sleep.

"Where's your bedroom, honey?" Oh, how I wish he could be saying those words to me under very different circumstances. Things were getting even more fuzzy fast and I knew I was going to lose it any time now.

"Hallway…" And I was out.

JPOV

Holy shit, she passed out. Right in my arms. What the hell do I do? I stood there for a while just holding her because, honestly, I felt like I was holding an angel in my arms. So beautiful and sweet. _Pull yourself together, man. The girl passed out. Do you want her to wake up with you still holding her like an ape?_ That would be a "no". I walked down the hallway to her bedroom slowly and, finally reaching it, I laid her down gently on her bed, adjusting the pillow under her head. Crap, what now? I took her Keen's off and looked around to find a blanket to keep her warm. As I looked around, I noticed how she had decorated the place. It wasn't too girly, but it had a certain softness to it and I actually liked. On my way back to her bedroom, I stopped by the restroom to grab a wet wash cloth. I draped the blanket over her after I elevated her legs with some pillows, tucked it under her feet and started to dab at her face and neck with the wash cloth. Shit, she was gorgeous. Even passed out, she was gorgeous. I needed to walk this "situation" in my pants off so I made it to the kitchen to get a glass of water for her when she woke up and one for myself because I sure as hell needed it. Setting the glasses on her nightstand, I pulled the puffy chair that had been next to her closet close to Rose's bed. I didn't feel comfortable leaving her alone this way, I had to wait until she woke up and make sure she was ok. Looking on her nightstand, I found a book that had obviously been read many times, the binding completely broken. I took hold of it and started to read it. _The Age of Innocence_ by Edith Wharton. Hmm. It was one of those period books that usually put me to sleep but this one seemed to be pretty good. I'd have to check it out of the library some day to see what it was all about.

I was well into chapter two of the book when Rose started to stir but she didn't open her eyes. She had a heart-broken look on her face, her fingers dug into the bed spread, and she was crying. Uh oh, this wasn't good. Was she dreaming? It couldn't be a good one, anyway. Then she started to sob.

"No, James, please. Please don't leave me here like this! You're going back to someone who you don't even love anymore, it doesn't make any sense! Please, don't do this, James. Please. Please, no!" What the fuck? Who was James? Whoever he was, he was definitely an asshole to hurt Rose to the point that she sobbed in her sleep. I moved to sit on the edge of her bed to try to soothe her because she was starting to pull at the blanket and her clothes. I whispered softly to her and tried to gently wipe her tears away.

"Rose? Rose, honey, wake up. You're ok, Rose. C'mon, wake up, honey." She opened her eyes, startled, and pulled away from me still bewildered from her dream. I suddenly felt like I had invaded her privacy and wanted to run out of there but something held me sitting on the edge of that bed. "Rose, you were having a dream. Well, a nightmare. Are you ok?" She shook her head and started to cry silently. I reached for her and she climbed toward me, hugging me around my neck and her breathing was ragged. I could feel her tears through my shirt and the heat of her breath on my neck. Poor thing. All I could think of was tracking down this James guy and ripping out his heart for breaking Rose's. I held her tightly with my arms, rubbing my hands up and down her back slowly to soothe her.

"You're ok, Rose. Shh, I'm here, you're ok, love." That made her cry harder, unfortunately, but her grip tightened and that was ok with me. At least she wasn't pushing me away and kicking me out of her house. After the crying stopped, she sat with her legs draped over my lap, holding me tightly with her arms around my waist, and her head resting on my chest. I didn't bring my hand above her knees out of pure respect (the last thing she needed right now was to be groped), my other hand resting on the small of her back. Her breathing had slowed finally and she spoke in a gravelly voice.

"I'm sorry about all this, Jake. You don't have to stay." Uh, translation please? No way was I going to leave her alone right now. Apparently, she was used to people leaving and I didn't want to count myself as one of them.

"I'm not leaving, Rose." She lifted her head to look at me, her eyes still teary and red but she smiled and kissed me gently on the cheek. I gathered her in closer to me being perfectly comfortable where I was. I also wanted to find out who this James guy was but I decided against it. Yeah, now was not the time.

"Thank you, Jake." I rested my chin on top of her head and kissed her hair as I rocked her slightly back and forth.

My Rose.


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own Twilight, Stephanie Meyer does. **

**Thank you, shelbron, for reviewing! Reviews make me happy, just sayin', so thanks!**

**Sorry it took so long for me to get this chapter out, I have excuses but I'm sure you don't want to hear them. Tee hee!**

**Ok so, this chapter was fun to write but really hard at the same time! They're so conflicted! Brace yourselves, kids.**

RPOV

I woke up startled by the feeling of someone touching me and when I opened my eyes, it wasn't who I was dreaming about. It wasn't James. What the hell? What was Jake doing here? Why was he in my house? In my bedroom? I scooted away from him instinctively and immediately saw an embarrassed expression flash across his face. Slowly, the events of earlier today started to come back to me. Jake had given me a ride home and had helped me into the house. Shit, he carried me! I must have passed out, that's why Jake was still here, to make sure I was ok. Oh Christ, he was an amazing man. So kind and selfless, really. Not many people would do this kind of thing especially for someone they barely know. But here he was trying to comfort me. I felt like an ass.

"Rose, you were having a dream. Well, a nightmare. Are you ok?" I could tell from the tone of his voice and the look on his face that he was genuine in his concern. It touched my heart. I wasn't used to being treated like this, especially by a man. The emotions built up inside of me from Jake's sweetness and I started to cry silently. Usually, I didn't like to show my emotions in front of men let alone cry in front of them. But Jake was different. I felt safe with him. So I shook my head to show that I wasn't ok. It was true. It felt like I was coming apart at the seams and I was terrified of going to that place again. If I let one piece fall, I would start down that spiral and it would take me forever to get myself out again. This time, I knew I wouldn't be able to do it on my own. This dream was too real, and Jake's presence and kindness showed me that such men do exist. After James, I didn't believe that good men existed. I thought every woman in a relationship or marriage settled somehow. Jake was restoring my faith and it scared me. But I wanted to believe it was true at the same time.

He reached out to me when I let him know that I wasn't ok. I lost my restraint and every emotional barrier at that moment and let myself be comforted. I scooted back toward him and he held me in his arms warmly. I wasn't sexual but it wasn't like hugging my cousin either. It was as if he knew what I was feeling and knew just what I needed. I didn't need to talk over anything, I just needed to get it all out. I needed to cry and I needed to be held. And Jake did that for me.

I had no idea how long we stayed that way, both of us holding onto each other, but I knew I had no interest in moving. The way he held me was so respectful but comforting at the same time. The thought occurred to me, however, that he might have other things to do so, when I calmed down, I told him that he didn't have to stay.

"I'm not leaving, Rose." That might be the only time in my life that a man had ever said those words to me. Especially after the emotional breakdown that he just witnessed. I looked up into his eyes and saw that he was being honest and really had no intention of leaving. He said it and he meant it. I smiled and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Thank you, Jake." He pulled me in closer to him and nestled his face into my hair, kissing me. This was completely uncharted territory for me. After a while, he whispered to me.

"Hey, Rose. Are you hungry? You should eat something." He was right. And I was really hungry. Oh man, he hadn't had lunch because of me, he must be starving. I nodded and he picked me up only to set me on my feet as he stood, not letting go of me right away so I could test my stability. I felt alright but I hated being away from him. He almost put me in a trance with his body heat, heart beat, and breathing.

"I have stuff at home, you need real food. Let me go grab it and I'll be right back, ok?" Someone cooking for me for once sounded awesome. And having it be a damn gorgeous man who'd be doing the cooking didn't hurt either.

"That sounds great, Jake. You have no idea… I appreciate it. Everything. I really do." He smiled, took the last remaining steps to be close to me, and wiped some loose strands of hair out of my face.

"Anything you need, Rose. I want you to know that. Ok?" Ok, I'm done. I want _him_.

When he left for his house in his truck, I jumped in the shower and stood there under the stream of water for a while before I washed my hair. The warmth of the water reminded me of the warmth of Jake's body. _Shit! _I was losing it here. There was that tug-of-war again between what my body and heart wanted, and what I was terrified of. His actions showed me that he was a caring person and sweet. I had to get over this fear somehow. Hopefully, he would understand that I needed time.

I twisted my wet hair into a clip at the back of my head just in time for him to walk in the front door with three bags of groceries. How much were we cooking?

"Jake, how many courses are we having tonight? My Lord!" He looked excited about cooking, though, so I wasn't going to argue. I just jumped up onto the granite countertop to watch him get to work.

"Like I said earlier, you need real food. Oh shit… do you eat red meat?" I could see how he might wonder, me being a vet and all. But screw that. I loved a filet as much as the next gal.

"Absolutely! In vet school I named my favorite cow, Lunch." He spit out the water he had been drinking at the time.

"Fuck! Out my nose… Rose, you are awesome! I see someone's feeling better. Oh, God, I'm glad that wasn't soda." I joined him in laughing because, in vet school, a bunch of us really had a sick sense of humor. One night, we all got piss drunk and my buddy, Scott, drew the outlines of the typical cuts of meat on the side of Lunch with red lipstick. Lunch didn't mind much, but the dean didn't find it very funny. Whatever. I thought it was awesome. Awesome enough to take a video on my camera. I watch it when I need a laugh.

"Miss Rose, I think we need some music." Oooh, he was right. Something lovely for tonight, not loud or scary, but lovely. Hmm. Aah, here it was. Perfect. The second the song started, Jake closed his eyes and took a deep breath, a contented smile spreading across his face. Yeah, he knew this song.

_It is the spring time of my loving_

_The second season I am to know_

_You are the sunlight in my growing_

_So little warmth I felt before_

_It isn't hard to feel me glowing_

_I watched the fire that grew so low_

As the instrumental section of Led Zeppelin's "Rain Song" followed, I walked back into the kitchen and jumped back onto the countertop. He continued cutting the vegetables and shook his head.

"I love that you love this. I feel so at home here, Rose. You're amazing." He looked in my eyes and smiled again. Damn, I loved his smile. We did have quite a lot in common but I wanted to know so much more. He hummed along to the music.

_It is the summer of my smile_

_Flee from me, keepers of the gloom_

_Speak to me only with your eyes_

_It is to you I give this to_

_Ain't so hard to recognize_

_These things are clear to all from time to time_

The lyrics were starting to sink into my head and I realized that they fit perfectly. For me, anyway. I had no idea what Jake thought and I was immediately self-conscious about choosing this song. What if he wasn't even in the same zip code as I was? Was he even listening to the lyrics? Was I over thinking this? I think so. Ok, deep breath. It's just a song. It's pretty and relaxing. Give it a rest.

_I felt the coldness of my winter_

_I never thought it would ever go_

_I cursed the gloom that set upon us_

_But I know that I love you so_

_But I know that I love you so_

_These are the seasons of emotion_

_And like the wind, they rise and fall_

_This is the wonder of devotion_

_I see the torch we all must hold_

_This is the mystery of the closure_

_Upon us all, upon us all a little rain must fall_

When the song was over, he reached over and squeezed my hand that was resting on my thigh. My whole body flushed and I tried to hide it by jumping down from the countertop and walking to the fridge to get some water. I sure needed it, that was for sure. Especially since the song that started now was "For Your Life" and it practically _drips_ sex, and I had to make a conscious effort not to move my hips like I usually did whenever I heard this song. I decided to try to distract myself by concentrating on the dinner itself.

Watching Jake work in the kitchen really was fascinating. I could tell he knew his way around and he was lethal with that knife. He roasted some fingerling potatoes, made a huge salad, and served the steaks with a lump of chilled garlic and herb butter on each. There was even crusty sourdough bread and a bottle of 2005 Merkin Vineyard Chupacabra. And _where_ did he get _that?_ _Oh, prrr kitty. _That was a no nonsense robust red and it seemed to fit him perfectly even though I would have never pegged him as a wine guy. He just kept getting better and better.

"Jacob Black, a 2005 Merkin Chupacabra? You had me at hello!" He popped the cork as he chuckled, flashing that gorgeous smile of his.

"You know it! Everything Maynard touches seems to turn to gold, I'm telling you. And this is one of the best. I have the Judith at home too, but I thought this would be more fitting for tonight's steaks. What do you think?" I nodded enthusiastically because I hadn't had it in a while and it was _so good!_ I could roll around in it. I helped transfer everything to the table after I set it for him. He loaded my plate for me, poured my glass of wine, and waited for me to taste the steak before he even put any food on his own plate. I almost came, it tasted so good. Diet be damned! The flavors in the butter that melted over the steak brought out the flavor of the meat, the potatoes were roasted to perfection, and the salad was incredible with the vinaigrette he made. I closed my eyes and chewed slowly, savoring the party in my mouth. After I swallowed, I took a small drink of the wine and it was the perfect compliment to the flavors of the food. I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, a small smile creeping across my face.

"Jake, this is the best meal I've had in a _long_ time. So much better than a restaurant. Really. You are amazing. Thank you so much!" He smiled sheepishly and blushed at the compliments as he loaded up his own plate.

"I'm glad you like it, Rose. Sometimes it's better to keep things simple. That's true of a lot of things, isn't it? Let the flavors do their thing and the end result can be mind-blowing." He was right again. Why analyze things? Just let them happen. This time, it was my turn to blush. I took another long but slow pull of the wine and let it slide down my throat, feeling the warmth build in my body, relaxing me. This night was becoming the best I'd had. Like ever. And I was scared shitless.

JPOV

I got back to Rose's place and walked in to see her pulling her hair into a clip at the back of her head. As she did that, her tight tank top rode up, and I almost dropped the groceries. Her jeans sat low on her hips and I probably saw more of her than she intended. The years of working outside and handling large animals showed in her physique. When I had held her, I felt her softness. But now I saw the definition in her body lines. Oh my God, that was one of my weaknesses. I sucked myself back into reality as quick as I could because I heard her saying something about the amount of food that I brought. _Focus. Don't be a dick._

Rose didn't need to be accosted right now so I decided to throw all my concentration into cooking the dinner. I hadn't planned on doing anything as extravagant as what I brought with me, but I figured she deserved it. Ok, fine, I also wanted her to know that I could cook. So what if I was showing off? Was that so wrong? My subconscious might be telling me that I wanted her to like me. My subconscious should mind it's own business and leave me alone, the bastard.

As I got everything out, I stopped dead in my tracks. I was planning on steaks. Did she eat meat? I didn't know. I remembered Emmett said he heard her ordering a burger but how many times in his life has Emmett been wrong? Exactly my point.

"Oh shit… do you eat red meat?" We had enough veggies and other stuff if she didn't, but the steaks were the best part in my opinion. Mmm, meat. Thankfully, she did eat meat, explaining to me that not only did she have a favorite cow in school, but she named it, "Lunch" in true "A Fish Called Wanda" style. Ok so, revisiting the Rose score card… Gorgeous? Yes. Funny? Yes. Good taste in music? Yep. Kind heart? Yes. _Shit._

I needed something to help distract me, otherwise dinner wasn't even going to get made. I suggested some music and I immediately saw her face light up and the wheels turning in her head. What was she going to pick? I was going to use her choice in music for tonight as a gauge for her mood. I heard the first slow strum of the guitar and I did some mental back flips. I _loved_ this song. This wasn't exactly the kind of song that guys boasted about liking but this one was really good. Led Zeppelin's "Rain Song" was bad ass structurally and in terms of technique… to get those sounds to come from a guitar _by one man_ was amazing to me. Always had been. And the lyrics were romantic if you listened to them. Basically, times change, there's good and bad for everyone, but true love never dies. This considered, I knew that she really was trying to kill me. She came back to the kitchen and returned to sitting on the kitchen counter very close to me and that was just mean. Her hips and chest were now invading my peripheral vision, she smelled of fresh soap and moisturizer which was just heavenly, and her voice was hushed when she spoke out of reverence for the song that was playing. Even though I felt as though my pants were going to explode and lightheaded because of the serious redistribution of blood to said pants area, I felt comfortable here. It felt natural. The comfort of cooking a good meal, the good music in the background, and being near someone who it felt like I'd know forever felt like home to me. That caught me off guard. It by no means solved the growing issue in my pants but it filled me with a welcomed sense of calm. I could tell that she noticed a change in me and I wanted to let her know that she was the cause of it. _What the hell is happening to you? How did this chick turn you into pudding? What makes you think she won't rip your heart out like _she_ did? You really want to go there again?_ Apparently, yes. Rose was different. I realized that now. And I decided to just let things happen. It felt like we were on a collision course toward each other anyway. Why fight it?

"I love that you love this. I feel so at home here, Rose. You're amazing." I looked in her eyes and saw a great deal of past hurt. She was smiling though, I could tell it came from lots of practice to hide the pain that was inside. Despite the sad eyes, however, the smile was genuine and I knew that we could come to a place where we trusted each other. I felt it. When the song was over, the last lines stuck in my head.

_Upon us all a little rain must fall_

Yeah. Rain? I think both of us had our share of hurricanes and I also think that that was the reason we came together so easily. We both knew the same sort of devastation and I had a feeling we could help each other out of it. What was the point of holding myself back anymore? I reached out and squeezed her hand that was resting on her thigh and her reaction was proof enough for me. She flushed instantly and, once I removed it, she leapt off the counter to get some cool water. Yeah, we were on the same page. But I still didn't know where she was in terms of permitting any sort of closeness again. Especially since she was still so affected by just the memory of this James guy. Ah well. No need to rush anything, let things happen in her own time.

I continued to prepare the dinner and conversation came easily ranging through all sorts of random topics. She helped me transfer the food to the dining table, I opened the wine, and I thought she would pass out again! Apparently she was a fan of Merkin Vineyards too. Awesome… yet another band we both loved. Maynard, the front man for Tool and a Perfect Circle, had to be manic or something. He never stopped doing something. Screw that, he was never satisfied with just doing one thing at a time! Performing with two bands, collaborations with other bands and artists, contributions to soundtracks and movie production, starting a vineyard and being very hands on with every aspect of the process. Not only that, but completely breaking the mold and breaking ground in Arizona of all places. Like I said. Manic. But everything he did was high quality. So… he was a high functioning manic because his wine was awesome. It was young, but it was good. And you knew that years down the line it would just get better and better.

I served up a plate for her, poured out a glass of wine, and waited to see what she thought before I even started. I was a closet foodie. And the flavors I put together were incredible. Simple but incredible. I held my breath as she tasted the steak and was delighted when she followed it immediately with a slow draw from the wine. The look on her face and the whimper that she let out made my situation down south come back with a vengeance. Good thing I was already sitting down and had a napkin across my lap because _this thing_ was basically a weapon. She complimented me repeatedly and I'm sure I blushed but the compliments weren't the only reason for the blushing. My body was on fire here!

"I'm glad you like it, Rose. Sometimes it's better to keep things simple. That's true of a lot of things, isn't it? Let the flavors do their thing and the end result can be mind-blowing." Yeah, I wasn't just talking about the food. Like I said, I didn't see the point in holding back anymore. And I felt comfortable in my decision. It felt like stepping back onto a rollercoaster that scared you when you were younger. Screw it. Why not?

The rest of the meal was delicious, I had to admit, and the conversation was perfect. It wasn't guarded or uncomfortable at all. We both were lazy and sleepy after all the food and wine so we cleaned up the kitchen quickly and collapsed on the couch in the living room in front of the fire. She topped off our glasses with the last of the wine and then scooted closer to me, my arm plastered to the back cushion of the couch. _Danger zone! And it's going to stay there, mister. You're not pushing Rose into anything. Not tonight._ It was that classic time when you're both feeling out when and if… And thank the Holy Mother she continued to scoot toward me, nestling into my side and rested her head back against my arm, and taking another small pull from the wine. She looked so content, her eyes trained on the fire in front of us. She let her head fall to the side and to rest on my chest. _Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! _ I brought my hand down to smooth the hair on top of her head, following it with a small kiss. She hummed and turned nestling in closer to my body. Holy crap, my whole body was buzzing. I didn't want to attack her or do anything that she didn't guide me to but, shit! She was killing me! She took my wine glass and leaned forward to place both of ours on the coffee table in front of us, and returned to her previous position but then crossed her legs toward me and rested her hand on my chest. Ok, that was a deliberate move on her part. I kissed the hair at the top of her head and she hummed in satisfaction again so I reached to place one finger under her chin nudging her face up to look at me. Oh man, those were some smoldering eyes if I ever saw any. Her hand glided across my chest gently as she looked down to my lips and back to my eyes again. Testing the waters further, I let my finger slide up the delicate line of her jaw and let my hand rest behind her neck gently, my fingers sneaking into her hair. Rose closed her eyes and took in a slow deep breath at my touch and all conscious thought went out the window at this point. I traced my thumb over her bottom lips lightly and her lips parted. Ok, it's on. Her eyes opened and looked deeply into mine as I slowly moved closer to her. I felt like I didn't want to attack her so all I did at first was brush my lower lip across her lips. Her body began to turn more fully toward me and I took that as encouragement but I pulled back to look in her eyes again to be sure. She leaned into me this time, brushed her lower lip across mine and kissed my lips softly but quickly. Shit, this was happening. Everything about her was intoxicating. Her body was so warm against mine, her lips soft and moist, I could taste the wine on her lips. I needed more, sorry. I kissed her, taking her bottom lip between mine and sucked on it slightly, then I heard a sexy as hell whimper escape her lips. My fingers trailed up into her hair and released it from that damn clip letting the damp waves tumble down her back. Now I could really get my fingers in there. My God, it was so soft! My kisses became more deliberate and Rose matched me every step of the way. Rose's tongue dipped into my mouth and I gasped, excited that she initiated it. Our tongues slowly stroked each other's as she turned to face me completely, one of her hands cradling my jaw and the other on my thigh. I just let her guide it from here. She was the boss. Then she became the best boss in the world because she began to make the move to sit on my lap and straddle my hips with her thighs. I broke the kiss and looked in her eyes to make sure this was _really_ what she wanted to do. Once she was in position, I rested one of my hands on her thigh and the other brushing the hair out of her face.

"Rose? You're sure this is what you want?" She ran her hands up and down my forearms, nodding slowly.

"Positive." Her lips met mine with more urgency and she repositioned her hips directly on top of my center. My whole body jumped as I instinctively moved my hands to her hips to maintain her position. She pulled back to look at me and held my gaze as she started to rock her hips over my cock which was at full attention by this point. My fingers dug into the flesh at her hips to encourage her and we both whimpered loudly at the glorious friction. I had a feeling it had been a long time for both of us since we had had anything like this before. As she moved her hips against mine, I let my hands drift up the sides of her torso and back down, over her hips and thighs. She then bent down to take my bottom lip to suck between hers then dipped her tongue deep into my mouth. I groaned into her mouth with that because she was so sensual about everything she did. The sensations of her on my lap, her fingers searching through my hair, and her lips against mine… add to that the fact that she was a ridiculously kind and sensitive person. I couldn't think of any other place I'd rather be at this moment. My arms snaked around her body pulling her close to me, making her whimper into my mouth this time.

It was getting very warm in this living room and we were getting to a point of no-return, in my low's opinion. Now would be the time to stop this if she wasn't comfortable with continuing. I found a strip of skin at her low back that was exposed by her tank top riding up and I ran one finger gently over it as I redirected my kisses along her jaw line to the soft skin behind her ear. She answered my question by pulling up on my shirt. _Shit snacks!_ One of my hands slid underneath the back of her shirt as the fingers of my other hand dug into her skin slightly as I slid my hand from her knee to her hip. Rose took in a long hiss of breath through her teeth and increased the force of her swiveling hips.

"Shit, Rose! You feel so… fuck…" My head sank to graze the skin on her throat with my tongue and my thumbs started to inch further onto the front of her torso with each pass of my hands on her sides. She hummed in pleasure and took hold of the hem of my shirt, lifting it up and ghosting her hands over my chest. Ok, that was it. Stopping was not an option anymore. I broke away from kissing her chest to take my shirt off quickly giving her better access. Rose's eyes widened for a second and then darkened, her fingertips gently drifting over the entire front of my torso, then she slowly lifted her tank top over her head as well. _Oh. My. God. _I've never seen black lace look this delicious before! I needed to feel her skin against mine and so wrapped my arms around her, pressing our bodies together with my very eager hands. Her hands never stopped moving and exploring my body and it was heavenly. As we kissed deeply again, I could feel her arch her back slightly to press her breasts against my chest and my cock almost leapt out of my pants again. As my hand slid up her side, I ran my thumb over the side of her breast, then again tracing the lace of her bra just above the underwire. She hung her head so her lips were next to my ear. I could hear her breaths coming faster and could feel her breath on my skin, causing a shot of electricity to course through my entire body. She whispered.

"Jake… yes… I love the way… you touch me. Don't stop, Jake." Lifting my head, I looked in her eyes as I let my hands barely drift over her breasts. She took in a short gasp and let her head fall back, closing her eyes, and digging her fingers into my shoulders. My lips trailed down the center of her chest and paused to nestle my face between her breasts, placing a soft kiss there, and running a palm over the hard nipple. Christ, she was beautiful. Soft. Warm. And writhing on my lap, grinding on my cock. _Rjnjnv;oaifn!_ I know that didn't make sense, but that's all my brain was capable of. My mouth was drawn to her nipple, her hands in my hair encouraging the move.

RPOV

After the dinner, I was the happiest I'd felt in a long time. The realization that it was because of Jake sank in as I walked to the living room to sit on the couch in front of the fire. I'd never felt this safe with a man before, let alone in my own home. It seemed like he belonged there. When we finally sat, I was overcome with a warm feeling in my belly and a lightheadedness that I knew wasn't from the wine or the food. It was Jake. Though we were both sitting on the couch, I felt too far away from him so I nestled into his side. He didn't seem to mind so I tried getting in closer. He didn't pull away. In fact, he stroked my hair and kissed the top of my head. Shit, how did he do that? He knew exactly what I needed. But it wasn't like he was doing it to get anything from me. I never got that feeling from him even when he was holding me back in my bedroom. Any other jerk would have taken their liberties then. But not Jake. Damn, I wanted him. _Yeah, me too!_ But I didn't know if he saw me that way. He'd been nothing but respectful and I wasn't sure if that was because he thought of me just as a friend or because he was trying to be a gentleman. _Screw it, let's find out!_ I took both our glasses and set them on the coffee table, cuddling into him even more, and placing my hand on his chest. With my hand there, I could feel his heartbeat through his chest and it was going a mile a minute, and he felt like he was on fire even through his shirt. That was an excellent sign! He then used his finger to tilt my head up so he could look in my eyes. I had never realized how beautiful Jake's eyes were. Sure, they were brown, but there were so many different shades in there. I knew it was the firelight that brought them out but he was stunning, none the less. And those lips. _Those lips!_ They looked so soft and… talented. I almost squealed in glee when he brought his face closer to mine. He just brushed his lips against mine at first and I thought mine would catch fire just from that. I wanted to see if I was right about the softness and… I was. Holy shit! His kiss was so warm and gentle but I wanted more. Oh yeah, his mouth was quickly becoming my promised land. He was letting me guide everything, not wanting to force me into anything. And that just made me want him more. I turned to face him completely and eventually just straddled his hips with my thighs. If he wasn't into this, I would have ended up on the floor by now and I _for sure_ would not be feeling the Rock of Gibraltar protruding between his legs. Holy shit, that was a lot of Jake. He pulled away from me slightly and asked.

"Rose? You're sure this is what you want?" As if he was on board if I was. In that case, can I get a _Hell Yes?_

"Positive." Oh yeah. Everything about him made all my doubts fly out the window. Everything that had happened before I got to Forks didn't matter. It didn't apply. This was right to me. Our bodies moved perfectly together, our intensity built slowly until I wanted more. Hell, I needed more. I pulled at his shirt wanting to feel his skin, then finally lifted the hem of his shirt to get my message across. When he finally raised his shirt over his head, I almost died. Ok. I'm not usually one to be attracted to guys based solely on their looks. It's a bonus if the guy I'm interested in is handsome, but it was just never on my list of requirements. In this case, God decided to bless me with a perfect specimen of man. Yes, there were muscles everywhere, but his skin was an amazing copper color despite the characteristic lack of sunshine around here. Oh man, I needed to feel it against mine. I lifted my camisole off and he crashed his body into mine, our skin finally in direct contact. Crap, he was warm. Warm with taut muscles but soft skin, and his hands were practically kneading my skin as he kissed me. It was sensory overload when his mouth headed toward my breasts and his fingers pulled down the lace of one of the cups freeing me. He licked and sucked at me as his hands ran over my bottom. My mind went into a thick haze, my body completely took over, and I think it was that way for both of us. Our breathing and mingling bodies were in synch, there was a slow but steady pace, and our eyes locked on each other whenever possible. He pulled down the lace covering my other breast and took it greedily into his mouth, grazing his teeth across my nipple. _Oh, oh, oh, oh…_ My toes curled. Shit, that's never happened before. That and I was so wet at the moment, I was surprised he couldn't feel it through his jeans. I reached behind my back and unfastened the clasp, removing it, and tossing it… somewhere. Jake's hands roamed up my back, curled around to the front of my torso, and gathered by breasts together, attacking my nipples together. I think I might have just came! No one's ever done that before either and I couldn't help but dig my fingernails into his arm. That just made a sexy as hell growl escape from his chest and he sucked on my nipples harder. _Jake is officially the best ever. At everything. A+, gold star, 1__st__ Place._ I moaned out when he did that, I couldn't help it. It was almost becoming too much. I somehow managed to speak in between heaving breaths.

"Jake… oh God… Jake, I need… please… I need to feel you." He looked up, his eyes trained on me, gripped my bottom and thighs, and flipped me quickly so I was laying on the couch and he was on top of me. He pressed his center against mine as he lifted one of my legs up with his fingers under my knee. He was so much stronger than I was. His entire body was just one big muscle and the feeling of being pinned underneath him was exhilarating. I ran my hands down his back and traced my fingers under the waistline of his jeans as I rocked my hips up to meet his, increasing the friction between us. He finally spoke in a strangled voice.

"Jesus, Rose! You're going to kill me!" And he buried his face into my neck sucking my skin in between his teeth. Shit, I hoped that left a mark.

"I sure as hell hope not!" My hands reached to the front of his jeans and unbuttoned the top button, encouraging him to continue. There was no way I would let him stop. Not now. He finally reached down and finished unbuttoning his pants. I knew his cock was pressing against me but I needed to feel it for myself. I was about to reach down to unzip my jeans but he beat me to it. I lifted my hips up and he slid both my jeans and underwear down in one push. As I kicked my pants off, he did the same and we finally came together skin to skin. We both gasped at the jolt of electricity that shot between us and at the glorious sensation of feeling each other without those pesky clothes in our way. I instinctively wrapped my thighs around his waist and rocked my hips up to find his cock waiting for me. And just as I thought, he was enormous. Bigger than I've ever had. And rock hard! This was going to be good. I rocked my hips to slide my extremely wet pussy up and down his entire length and it sounded like he was going to cry.

"_Rose! _Rose… my Rose… my angel… you feel so good, honey…" He slid the tip of his cock the length of my pussy and circled my clit slowly, holding my hips down so I couldn't move. I reached my legs down toward his bottom to try to pull him toward me but he insisted on teasing me. Now was so not the time to be teasing!

"Jake, please. I need you to fill me up, love. Now… I need you now…" Yeah, I just called him "love." It just slipped out, what can I say? It felt right, actually. His head snapped up, his eyes locking on mine, and looked at me in disbelief. I just nodded my head and whispered.

"Yes, Jake. Yes…" With that he guided himself to my opening with his hand and slowly entered me without taking his eyes from mine. The build up to this moment was so slow. Not just tonight but ever since I'd met him. There was an inexplicable pull between us ever since that morning outside my place with the dogs. From the outside, it might seem too fast to be real. But you know when you just know? Yeah. I knew. And each of his thrusts was pure celebration in my body. Speaking of his thrusts, he was so gentle. Purposeful and strong, but gentle at the same time. Up until he entered me, there was an animalistic drive to him. But now, I noticed a reverence in the way he touched me. It was incredibly sensual and hot as hell, but it didn't seem like mindless sex anymore. For the first time in my life, I realized that someone was making love to me. And it was a beautiful thing. I sought out his eyes and I saw it to be true. Now it was my turn to look at him in disbelief. He ghosted his fingers across my cheek and nodded as his gentle thrusts continued, he whispered.

"Yes, Rose. Yes…" His thrusts came steadily harder and I tried to meet him but he was so much stronger than me. And that turned me on even more. I clawed at his skin with my fingertips whispering words of encouragement. He lifted one of my legs up from around his waist to drape over his shoulder and he dove deeper into me than he had before, I screamed out. He froze and looked to me quickly.

"Honey? Are you…" Stopped? He stopped?

"Go! Keep going… so good, Jake… I need you to go harder… harder!" He kept his eye contact with mine as he cautiously entered me again, over and over until I was getting that warm coiling feeling in my low belly. I gripped the cushions of the couch.

"Jake, love, now… I'm gonna… oh my God…"

JPOV

She called me "Love." It wasn't the first time I had thought of Rose in that way, I just never put a label on it or acknowledged it really. And, don't get me wrong, I knew that it wasn't this big declaration or anything but it surprised me to hear it come out of her mouth. Especially at a time like this. I looked at her in disbelief at her choice of words and she just nodded in confirmation. Suddenly, I was seeing this in a whole new light. I didn't see it as some random act (although it was with someone I cared about), but as a physical representation of how I truly felt. It was then that my heart was making love to her. I hadn't let myself feel this way in so long. No one had ever inspired me to. With this realization I noticed that how I was handling Rose changed. It wasn't a mindless drive to obtain, I was now reveling in our closeness. Reveling in our physical union. She caught my glance and looked at me in disbelief. Yep, she noticed the change, I'm sure. I nodded and increased my force while still worshipping her body. She responded to me by pulling me into her but I wanted more of her. I wanted to be with as much of Rose as I possibly could, I couldn't get enough of her. Slipping her leg over my shoulder, I entered her firmly and she screamed. _Oh shit, what did you do? Fix it!_ I immediately stopped what I was doing and checked her face for signs of pain or disgust.

"Honey? Are you…" All I saw was bewilderment and desire… mixed with a little frustration that I stopped.

"Go! Keep going… so good, Jake… I need you to go harder… harder!" Hmm, was she sure? Because I had been holding back this whole time for fear of hurting her. So I locked my eyes with hers and slowly increased my force. She seemed to be seriously wanting more and more so I started thrusting at full force now, honestly not knowing how much more I would be able to take. Rose felt so amazing wrapped around me, like hot slick velvet, and her scent was delicious. I loved watching how her body reacted each time I slipped into her. And I did indeed slide into her. She was so wet, it was incredible. Everything about her was perfect. And I was coming close to not being able to hold myself back any longer. Thankfully, she spoke.

"Jake, love, now… I'm gonna… oh my God…" Thank goodness. I reached up and wet my thumb in my mouth and began to circle her clit. She arched her back and moaned loudly, I thought she would push herself off the couch, but I was able to hold her in place. I then ghosted my thumb across her clit directly and she took in a short gasp and held her breath.

"Breathe, Rose, breathe!" She let her breath out with a long low whimper and I started to pump on her clit in rhythm with my thrusts. Shit, I was so close. "Come on, Rose. Cum for me, love. Cum with me, are you ready?" She nodded furiously and I felt the muscles inside her clamp down strongly on my cock sending me over the edge. We both screamed out our orgasms with our faces buried in each other's necks. I wanted to be as close to her as possible at that moment. I not only felt her clutch down on me from the inside but, staying so close to her body, I was able to feel her whole body vibrate through her orgasm. I felt her scream leave her chest rather than just hearing it. I caught the sweet fragrance of her warm body mixed with mine. It was heaven and, guaranteed, the most intense moment I had ever experienced.

RPOV

Everything around me was a blur. All is knew was what I felt. There was a fire raging through my body, the most searing spot located between my legs. And there was a heavenly weight on top of me. I felt so safe. Not only safe from outside disturbances, but safe from being hurt emotionally. I was confident in Jake's devotion. Those things helped me experience this fully. When I felt Jake circle my clit with his thumb after I let him know I was ready, my devotion to _him_ grew. I thought My body would physically explode, I took in a short breath and held it in an effort to keep my pieces together.

"Breathe, Rose, breathe!" I decided to trust him in this and so let my breath out and prepared for the end of the world! He gathered me up toward him so our bodies were I contact with each other completely and whispered in my ear.

"Come on, Rose. Cum for me, love. Cum with me, are you ready?" Yep! I helped support myself while on one elbow and stabilized myself by wrapping my arm around his neck., and came like I'd never come before. I couldn't hold my voice inside me anymore and I cried out. He did the same into my neck. I loved being this close to him at this moment. It felt like we truly became one person. Once our minds slowly started to clear from the haze, I noticed he was still clutching my body to his as he lowered us back down to the surface of the couch. My desire for him continued as I felt his chest still heaving against mine. He lifted up to come closer to my face and to look into my eyes. He reached up and brushed some hair out of my face delicately with his fingertips. I brought my fingers to run through his hair and rub the back of his neck as I adjusted my body to accommodate his body more comfortably. He wrapped his arms around my body.

"Mmm, Jake." He dipped down and kissed my lips slowly and gently, stroking my tongue reverently, and I whimpered into his mouth. He dropped his head and nestled his face in the crook of my neck and whispered.

"So perfect, Rose. I don't…" Did we really need to talk about this right now?

"Jake, it's ok. You don't need to…" And he lifted himself back up so he could look me in the eye again, a serious look on his face.

"No, Rose, I do," And he brushed the back of his hand down my torso between my breasts to my navel and slid back up my side. "I want this to… bring us closer." He suddenly looked unsure of himself. Vulnerable. I was used to being in that position, I rarely witnessed it in others. "I don't want to lose you." This was absolutely the last thing I expected to come out of his mouth and I was floored by his honesty.

"I'm not going anywhere, love," He still hung his head, kissing my shoulder, but not meeting my eyes. I lifted his chin with my finger and I held his gaze. "Jake, I don't _want_ to go anywhere else." A small smile flashed across his face and he softly kissed my lips again. He brought me up to sitting with him, scooped me up in his arms, and walked us into my bedroom where he laid me down softly on the bed. Climbing up to join me, he pulled me in close to him and ghosted his fingers over every inch of skin of mine that he had access to. I hummed in pleasure against his chest and nestled myself in closer to his warm body. Soon, I was lulled to sleep by his rhythmic touch and his heart beat.


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own Twilight, Stephanie Meyer does.**

**Ok, sorry for taking so long in getting this one out. It's been a whirlwind of craziness up in here. I hope this chapter makes up for my slacking, though. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and welcome new readers! **

**And, last but not least, **_**GO BULLS!**_

JPOV

I woke the following morning to the feeling of arms sliding across my skin and wrapping around my torso, a face nuzzling into my chest and letting out a deep sigh. Mmm, my Rose. And damn, these were nice sheets! I was surrounded by softness and honestly didn't know what to do with myself. What can I say? I never pay attention to thread count when I buy bedding. Hell, I don't even remember when I bought the bedding that I had! It must have all been given to me at one point in time. Whoever it was didn't pay attention to thread count either.

Rose moved to press the whole line of her body against mine and I hummed in satisfaction, enveloping her in my arms. Then I realized that there were three people involved in this situation. Me, Rose, and my morning wood. Ah yes, my reliable friend. I half chuckled, half groaned as she rubbed her belly against it, trailing her fingertips down my side and taking hold of my hip pulling me closer to her. Oh man, really? I so wasn't used to this. I tried not to think about the last person I had woken up with, the woman who I last shared my bed with for so long. The fact that I was in Rose's bed and in her house helped a great deal. But I just didn't know if that dark cloud would hang around forever. I hoped not. Rose was the first person who I was able to feel open with. The first person I felt I could start over with. And she was holding me close to her at this very moment, taking in my scent as though it was her lifeline. She surrounded me with such a sense of calm, it was unbelievable.

I ran my hand down her side and leg pulling it over my hip, held her to me tightly, and rolled her on top of me before she knew what was happening. She giggled and swatted at me playfully, pulling her hair so it all fell over one shoulder, and hovered over me. It didn't escape my notice that she moved to position herself just below my center either. I spoke in a raspy first-thing-in-the-morning voice and ran my hands lightly up and down her thighs.

"Good morning, Rose." I was thankful that we hadn't dressed before we fell asleep last night because Rose was a vision. She wasn't airbrush perfect, she was real. That made her even more sexy to me. And shit, was she sexy? Yup! Her appearance was just a small part of that. It was everything else that did me in. The way she carried herself, the way she nuzzled up to me this morning… there was a confidence about her. I knew stuff had gone down before she moved here, but she seemed grounded here with me and it was a beautiful thing to see. She lowered her face to mine and kissed my lips softly as her hands glided over my chest. She whispered in my ear.

"Morning, Jake." Her breath against my ear made me shiver and my cock jumped. _Holy shit, control yourself, man!_ Rose had to notice that because it practically punched her in the belly. She just snickered huskily in my ear and rocked her hips up to graze the base of my cock with her pussy. _Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit…_

"Good God, Rose. You're so… so…" I couldn't think of one word to describe her. Not only because one word could never do the job, but because Rose was now sliding up and down the length of my cock and organized linear thought was not an option right now.

"So what?" Alright, enough of this. I gripped her hips tightly to mine and rolled to be on top of her. Looking down into her eyes, I whispered against her lips.

"You're so _Rose…"_ And I entered her slowly but deeply making her whimper loudly. Damn, the sounds she made were incredible. And they were burned into my brain at this point, certain that I would be able to call one to mind at any time and be instantly transported back to these moments. Her hands dove into my hair and my thrusts continued at a painfully slow pace.

RPOV

Mmm, I'm awake. That was the best night's sleep I'd had in a while. And it wasn't because Jake and I made the earth shake last night. It was unbelievable how safe he made me feel. Waking up now with his arm draped over my body, just his touch steadied me. I remained still for a while listening to him breathe rhythmically as he slept. This is where I wanted to be.

As I moved slightly to stretch, attempting not to wake him, I felt it. Holy shit, that was awesome. Jackpot! _Really? Really, Rose? The man is sleeping and you're already plotting an assault?_ No, not assault. I'm plotting pleasure. My body was on fire already at this point. This is what he did to me! I was powerless against him. He had me committed to him already on so many levels that this seemed like the natural thing to do. I slowly snaked my arm around him and scooted to press myself against him and it was absolute heaven. His skin was so soft! I found myself gliding the skin of my belly against him and pulling his hip toward me. _I really do think this would be considered assault, Miss Horny Pants!_ Whatever, I had a feeling he wouldn't mind.

My touch did, in fact, wake him up slowly. But I could tell my being close to him like this only added to his growing issue which I was very happy about. He wrapped his arms around me and after some rolling, nipping, and gentle kissing, he finally hovered over me. All of that was wonderful and electric shocks were coursing through my body, my skin felt as if it were on fire. But it was what he said in combination with his actions that sent me over the edge.

"You're so _Rose…_" He then entered me completely and continued at a slow almost reverent pace, his hands firm but loving. It wasn't the thought of being able to fuck me that made him take over, it was that it was me. He wasn't fucking my mysterious lady parts, he was making love to _me_. All of me. And that meant more to me than anything else.

Both of us lay there breathless after, a sheen of sweat covering both our bodies. Jake's head rested on my breast, his fingers tracing imaginary lines on my body, and I could feel his eyelashes brush against my skin when he blinked. I cradled him close to me and my eyes drifted shut.

Woah, what the hell? All I knew was that Led Zeppelin's "Four Sticks" was blasting from the floor and Jake rolled out of bed so fast he fell to the floor with a loud thump.

"Fuck… Goddamn it! What?" I tried not to laugh because he genuinely sounded pissed but it was hard. That was one of the funniest things I had seen in my life.

"Leah, I swear… I can't hear you, slow down. What happened now… I really don't know what you want me to do about it, Leah… Quill's an idiot, I thought this was common knowledge, shit. Ok, y'know what? This so isn't the best time." I slipped toward the edge of the bed to find him laying on the floor, knees bent, and his hand over his eyes in frustration. Who's Leah?

"Ok… ok… ok, fine! I still don't know what the hell you want me to do about this but… seriously, Leah, you really don't want to be yelling at me right now. Fine. Give me an hour or so." He let out a loud growl as he slid his phone closed.

"You ok, Jake?" He rubbed his hands up and down his face and then turned to look at me, then smiled apologetically.

"Sorry you had to wake up like that, Rose. My sister can be an ass." His sister? This was news. Well, come to think about it, I really didn't know much about him outside our little bubble. Realizing that made _me_ feel like an ass.

"No worries. Is she ok?" I really was concerned. Anyone Jake cared for was automatically my concern.

"She's fine. She just has a dumb-ass of a boyfriend and she had to throw him out again for coming home drunk. _Again!_ I have no idea why she's so surprised or why she doesn't just dump him and get it over with. Save us all a whole lot of grief. Plus, Quill knows the rules. We control ourselves." He got up slowly and stretched. I knew that now was not the most appropriate time to give him a good once over but I couldn't help it. He was on display for me, my eyes just got sucked in.

"Now I have to got out there and… do something, I don't even know what she expects me to do." He walked back over to the bed, sat down next to where I was laying face down, and ran his hand softly over my back and into my hair. I hummed at his touch, it was electrifying.

"I don't want to leave you here, Rose. Come with me?" I lifted myself up to look at him. Go with him? To his sister's place? _Sure, Rosie, now things feel like they're progressing too fast? Snap out of it._ This was for Jake. Besides, I didn't want to be away from him either.

"Ok, I just need to shower." Yeah, showing up to meet his sister for the first time smelling of sex wouldn't be the best plan.

"Yeah, me too. I'll meet you back here in half an hour?" I got out of bed and reached for my robe. He took the remaining steps to pull my body to his. And whispered into my ear " We could shower together… but then I don't think we'd make it out of the house." I just know that my entire body flushed a bright red. A low laugh grumbled from his chest and he kissed me on the forehead before leaving for the front room to find his clothes and slip out the front door. I knew I had to jump in the shower but my feet were glued in place. Jake had officially rendered me senseless. And it was exhilarating.

JPOV

Leah was truly killing me. All of us had grown up together and it just didn't seem necessary to warn her about Quill. I guess we were wrong. At least the other guys didn't have to bother with it. They just got to observe from the outside as if they were watching a soap opera unfold before their eyes. I, on the other hand, had to live it first hand. Usually she was able to handle things on her own. Leah wasn't a push-over, that was for sure. But things got to a certain point that even she couldn't turn him around. In my opinion, that's when you just have to call it quits because the behaviors haven't changed, they've actually worsened. I know she knows it too. She's just scared to be alone.

But then I remember how she was there for me. Regardless of our differences, she's my sister. And when Mona left, she went after Mona like a pit bull before she even came to check on me. All I know is that Mona walked away minus a few clumps of hair and with a fractured zygomatic bone. Leah walked away with… the clumps of Mona's hair clutched in her hands. So when she does call for help with Quill, it's hard for me to say 'no.' The thing is, though, I never have to do anything. I just show up and they settle things. I always get the same explanation from Leah.

"He looks up to you, Jake, you know that." Quill doesn't look up to me. Well, physically, yes. I stand about six inches above him. No, Quill is afraid of me. There's a difference. And if all I have to do is make an appearance for them to be able to work things out, I guess I can swing that.

I showered in record time, fed the boys, and high-tailed it back to Rose's. I found her sitting at the front steps of her place rubbing Eric and Godric's bellies. Lucky dogs. Rose seemed to be glowing. On anyone else, her outfit of jeans, hooded sweatshirt, Keen's, and her hair tied up in a bun wouldn't have inspired a second look. But to me she was breathtaking. I stepped out of my truck and joined her in playing with the dogs. She moved to stand and I pulled her into a tight hug, breathing her scent deep into my lungs. Damn, didn't I just see her like only thirty minutes ago? It felt like forever. I was falling hard and fast.

RPOV

Ok, shower time. I made my way into the bathroom and realized that I was shaking. All of my muscles were quivering as I let the water heat up in the shower. My body hadn't been in a constant state of sexual readiness since… wow, never. Not like this morning and last night. It was never like this with Bobby, that's for sure. Stepping into the shower, carefully, part of me was sad about washing Jake's glorious scent off my body. The other part wanted to feel refreshed to spend the day with Jake. At his sister's place. I could tell from the one-sided conversation that I heard earlier this morning that Leah was having man trouble. Though it seemed like they had that typical brother/sister relationship of getting on one another's nerves, I could tell Jake really loved his sister. The true test of a man is how he treats the women in his family. Today should be interesting.

I decided to just be comfortable today considering Jake had seen me in all manner of dress (and undress) by this point. But I didn't want to show up all Gucci'd out to meet his sister either. She sounded like a firecracker over the phone and I didn't want to make a bad impression. Girls can size each other up pretty quickly and I didn't want to come across as a threat. Think _Animal Planet_.

I heard Jake's truck long before I saw it and my belly instantly started to heat up. This was insane but I couldn't keep a smile from stealing across my face. The dogs were keeping me company on the front steps and Jake appeared in front of me. Apparently, I had been oblivious to his physical arrival because of my day dreaming about him. Incredible. He pulled me into a strong hug the instant I stood and I melted into his body willingly. Man, I had missed this feeling. I knew it had been less than an hour since I had seen him last but I felt like I had my sunshine back. Corny, I know. But true. I buried my face in his chest and felt so safe, my hands pulling him closer to me, and I heard a deep sigh leave his chest.

"Hmm, Rose. Are you ready?" I nodded into his chest, noticing that neither of us were letting go of the other. It made me giggle and I finally lifted my head to see his face. He was grinning at me widely and I nodded again.

"Yup! Ready for anything." He shot me a look like I was a brave woman and took my hand as we walked toward his truck.

One thing I hadn't noticed the last time I had been driving with Jake was that he drove this thing like a military vehicle. Not only on the small side roads that led to our houses, but out on the highway as well! My God, these poor people. I had to admit that it was fun, though. I might just invest in a bull-horn and lean out the window to warn other drivers. "Excuse us… sorry, excuse us… crazy man on the road… I'd change lanes if I were you, buddy, Jake's in a rush… We left point A and you are keeping him from reaching his point B!" I laughed quietly to myself. Turns out, it wasn't that quiet.

"What are you laughing at?" He grinned back at me.

"Nothing! You're just a… passionate driver, Jake." He nodded confidently.

"Damn right. And it gets us there, doesn't it? In style too!" And he actually danced in his seat. I couldn't keep it in any longer and I let out an unguarded belly laugh making him chuckle as well.

I sat there for a while with a small smile on my face thinking about his sister and why we were going there. I had so many questions swimming around in my head but I didn't feel comfortable asking them. I figured he'd tell me when he wanted to. By the looks of things, he was going to let me see first hand so I held my tongue.

Eventually we passed a sign reading "La Push," and then pulled off at one of the exits about two miles in. We were going to a reservation? Seriously? I had no idea! Even more stuff that I was clueless about. I turned to look at him as we pulled in front of a modest house surrounded by trees. He smiled slightly.

"Welcome to La Push, Rose." Wow, it was beautiful. It seemed like it didn't matter where you went around here, the trees followed you and protected you from outside evils. But then I saw a girl, whom I guessed was Leah, burst out of the house. I could tell she was on the verge of tears but that she was more angry than anything. A few seconds after the girl emerged from the house, a young man followed her with a beer can in his hand and beer sloshing from the opening. He was yelling after her but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Leah in Jake's arms. The young man immediately dropped the can, sat on the front steps of the house, and held his head in his hands. _What the hell? _Why did this guy crumble like that just at the sight of Jake? I knew Jake looked imposing but still! Jake pulled out his phone and talked into it briefly as he turned to me in the car, waving me out to him. Was he sure about that? I didn't feel comfortable stepping into a family squabble. Not even considering the fact that I was a complete stranger to them. Leah walked over to Quill and they spoke quietly as I met Jake at his side.

"Thanks, Embry… yeah, take him to Dad's. Let him sober up there this time… we've protected him for too long. They need to know… ok, we'll be here." He wrapped his arm around my side and pulled me into him, kissing the top of my head. After about ten minutes, a car pulled up and another young man got out walking toward Jake.

"Hey, Jake. Ooh, yeah. He looks horrible. Billy needs to see this." His gaze turned toward me and he screeched to a halt. "Jake, holding out on me? What the hell? I thought we were friends, man!" Yeah, I'm staying out of this.

"Rose, this is Embry. Embry, Rose." I could tell that Embry wanted to say much more than what was coming out of his mouth but kept it in. Both Embry and Quill seemed to have more than respect for Jake. It was almost like submission. It was cool and all, but now I had more questions than when I arrived here. Jake and I were going to have a serious talk pretty soon.

Embry loaded Quill into his car and headed back up to the road. Now Leah's attention was on me and it did not feel the least bit welcoming. Uh oh. Thank goodness Jake noticed that Leah was in attack-mode and ran some interference.

"Leah, this is my Rose. Rose, this is my sister, Leah." My knees got weak as he introduced me as his Rose, I admit it. I liked the sound of it. I usually wasn't one to like _belonging_ to anyone but this seemed right. She narrowed her gaze at me but I stood firm before her knowing that Jake had invited me here. She made no move to say anything so I went first by holding out my hand to shake hers.

"Nice to meet you, Leah." There wasn't really much else I could say. Jake hadn't said many nice things about her, her boyfriend was a dick, and the weather wasn't exceptional. I was at a loss. Her expression didn't change and she still didn't make any move to greet me, my hand still held out in front of me. Jake finally spoke in a low, controlled, but authoritative tone.

"Leah." She shot a look at him as if to say she'd do it because she had to but wasn't happy about it. Finally she reached out to take my hand in hers and let go quickly. No squeeze, no shake, not even a limp fish. Just a touch. What the hell was that all about? A slow simmer of anger started in my chest but I tried to stuff it into my back pocket to deal with later.

"Where's Embry taking Quill, Jake?" Yeah, I wanted to know why it was a big deal to take Quill to Jake's Dad too.

"He's going to Dad's, Leah. This has to stop." It looked as though someone had punched Leah in the stomach.

"To _Dad's?_ Are you fucking serious? I might never see him again! What were you thinking, Jake?" She was on the verge of tears again. Wait, she might never see him again?

"Leah, he needs to straighten up. You know that. We'll all probably catch hell for keeping it from Dad this long! This way, he'll get the help and guidance he needs. I can't do it all." She looked just straight angry now. Angry and combative.

"Because of the shop!" Oooh, here come the details.

"Yes, because of the shop. I do what I can but I have a life now, Leah. I'm not giving that up." He looked as if he were pleading with her to understand.

"Yeah, your life. Fine. Enjoy your life while the rest of us sit and wait." She turned and stormed back toward the house. "Enjoy your fucking shop and your fucking whore!" Woah, ok. I did not just hear that. My anger was now up to a ten and I instinctively took a few steps toward her. Jake did the human seat belt thing again to keep me from launching myself at her as he yelled after her.

"_Leah, don't you dare walk away from me!"_ I don't even think I would call that a yell. It was more of an irate snarl. Leah stopped immediately, turned slowly, and walked back to us. Jake stepped in front of me and just looked at her, she avoided looking him in the eye. He spoke this time with a low growl.

"Look at me, Leah!" She finally met his gaze, and reacted the same way Quill and Embry had. Automatic submission. Her posture softened and looked instantly repentant. She mumbled softly.

"I'm sorry, Jake." Oh, she's apologizing to Jake? _I don't think so, missy. You might be Jake's sister, but if I can take down a steer by the horns, I can sure as hell take you down too_. He growled at her again.

"I'm _so_ not the person you should be apologizing to, Leah. This is _my Rose."_ She seemed to cower more then shifted her sight to me, straightening herself, speaking softly but clearly, and looking me square in the eye.

"I'm sorry, Rose. I was angry, I shouldn't have taken it out on you. Especially like that." And she extended her hand out to me. Wow. This is officially the most intriguing family dynamic I've ever seen. I reached out to take her hand and she gripped it solidly but softly, and holding it with the other as well. "Blueberry muffin?" Snacks too? I could work with that. I smiled slightly at her.

"I understand, Leah. And a muffin sounds great, thanks." She turned to head into the house as I looked at Jake with a bewildered look on my face. He cradled my face in his hands as he kissed my forehead, then took me into a gentle hug, running his hands up and down my back.

"Are you ok, Rose? I'm sorry about Leah. I didn't think she'd blow up like that, especially at you. Don't worry, though, this isn't the end of it and she knows it. We have rules." What's with these rules? This was definitely becoming more and more like _Animal Planet._ "I saw you almost go for her, though. I wasn't sure I'd be able to stop you!"

"Did I break one of your rules, Jake?" I looked at him tauntingly.

"Hell no. That was awesome! I just didn't want you to get yourself dirty while tearing her to pieces." He kissed my lips gently and I sank into him. His control over the earlier situation was definitely a turn on and I welcomed his tongue into my mouth. I wanted to jump up and wrap my legs around his waist but the front yard of his sister's house probably wasn't the best place for it. Eventually, I pulled away from the heavenly kiss because I could feel his breathing start to speed up and his hands pull my hips tighter against his. I whispered.

"Jake, we shouldn't. Not here. Besides, there are blueberry muffins…" He laughed out loud at that and ushered me toward the house, his hand on the small of my back.

"You're right. Muffins, it is, then."

JPOV

I was disgusted by the way Leah was treating Rose. When she called Rose a whore, though, I lost it and the alpha came out in me. I didn't use it much. Hell, I didn't have to most of the time. But, being my sister, Leah tended to test the boundaries. And to refer to Rose like that, let alone right in front of me was just… unbelievable. Now that Rose saw it first hand, I knew I had a lot of explaining to do.

After Leah groveled and made nice with Rose, Rose and I headed out for some lunch. The ride out of town was pretty quiet and I was getting nervous. I could tell her mind was racing and I sped to the diner so we could talk.

We got to our table, ordered, and she looked me directly in the eyes.

"Ok, what the hell was that whole thing about? Why do they all act that way around you? It's like your leader of the pack or something! Spill!" Wow, she was perceptive. Isn't that just hitting the nail on the head?

"Well, you're kinda right. I am. Well, I should be. But I am, really." She looked at me like I had three heads.

"Ok. I'm Quileute. We all are. So… do you know how tribes work?" She looked uncertain but nodded anyway. "There's a leader. Always is. Right now, my Dad is. But he's not supposed to be." Slowly, a look of realization spread across her face.

"_You?_" She straightened up with her back against the padding of the booth looking stunned. Her fingers of one hand reached up to graze her lips softly and I could tell her head was still filled with questions. I just waited after I nodded in affirmation.

"So… why not? I mean, if you should be…" _Because I'm a selfish dick_. How do I put that nicely?

"I built a life for myself, Rose. Ever since I turned sixteen, it's been shoved down my throat. I know I have a responsibility to the tribe, and I know that my Dad isn't getting any younger. But I don't know if I can dedicate myself to both fully. And if I can, I haven't figured out how to do that yet." It felt good to get that out, actually. No one inside the tribe understood my position. No one from outside the tribe did either, for that matter. Maybe that's why I subconsciously brought her with me to Leah's. Now she's seen both sides of me. Hopefully she understood. Her eyes focused on me again and she whispered.

"Jake, you must be _exhausted!_" I almost cried. She _did_ understand. Or at least was trying to. All of the tension quickly drained out of my body and I reached for Rose's hands hanging my head in gratitude. The food came and we had to break our hold of each other, but I wasn't interested in food anymore. It didn't look like she was either because we both just looked at our plates in disappointment. And I _never_ walk away from a burger. We both took a few bites and got some boxes to go. Once back in the car, we just looked at each other for a while before I started the engine and decided to test this machine to see just how fast it would go. This thing with Rose was looking like a destiny thing. I, of all people, hated that word. But it was accurate in this case.

RPOV

Jake is the head of his tribe. Jake. My Jake. The Quileute tribe. He's the head of it. Holy. Shit. When he told me and the information sunk into my thick head, I touched my lips to see if they felt different. I had just kissed those lips. Sure they weren't any different now than they were before I found out but still. My God. I couldn't imagine having that much responsibility thrown at me at such a young age. Hell, even now! To be forced to change your life and give up what you've worked so hard to build? It sounded like it was possible for him to do both, but it seemed so hard for him. Like I said, I couldn't imagine the pressure that he must feel every day. And I never would have known just by looking at him. Not that he was some tribe leader, but you'd never know that he had all of that on his mind! He always seemed so at peace. Our food came but this diner was the last place I wanted to be. I wanted to be close to him to support and comfort him. After taking a few bites, we both asked to take our food to go. I took his hand and led him out of the diner and to his truck.

"Take me to your place, Jake." He walked me to the passenger side door and helped me in. I thought he drove like a crazy person this morning, but this was some fast driving. We both jumped out of the truck and up the steps to his front door. Once he closed the front door behind us, he pulled me into him and pinned me against the door, and pulled my hair out of it's bun. He leaned his forehead against mine and pressed his hips into me. His hands cupped my face and he whispered against my lips.

"Thank you for seeing me, Rose. My God, thank you." He grazed his lips against mine but I wanted more than that right now. I wanted so much more. My tongue dipped into his mouth slightly and he whimpered softly into my mouth. Damn it, his hands felt so good on me. I loved the way he pulled me against him, the feel of his body pressed against mine. And he was exploring me in a way now that he hadn't before. One hand traced to the back of my neck as he held me steady and sucked lightly on my lower lip. The other hand slid down my back and to my bottom. He squeezed it at first and then started to inch closer and closer to my center from behind as his kiss deepened. My body was officially on fire now if it wasn't already. I arched my back so he could reach further and I gasped into his ear as his fingers found my opening. Shit, we had too much clothing on. I reached for his shirt and tugged it up before I pulled my sweatshirt over my head. He started on my jeans as I did and attacked my lips the minute they were exposed. The room was spinning and my legs were weak from the excitement which, thankfully, he noticed. He backed me up against the door again, and pinned me there with his hips as he pulled one leg over his hip followed by the other. Holy shit, he felt amazing. To know that I did that to him made me grind against him harder – I just loved feeling him against me like that. The next thing I knew, he was walking through the living room and toward a stair case. About half-way up the stairs, I moved my hands to cover his encouraging him to dig his fingertips into my flesh. He broke from our kiss and growled up toward the ceiling.

"Fuck, Rose, yes…" He stopped at that step and pressed me into the wall, unhooking my bra before he did so. After he grabbed it off me, he tossed it down into the living room and I honestly didn't care if I ever found it again. He brought his mouth instantly down to my breast and licked my nipple gently at first but then began to suck on it harder and harder. I ran my fingers into his hair and held his head there while I cried out loudly.

"Is that what you want, Rose? Hmm? Tell me this is what you want, love." He wanted me to speak? My mind was a complete haze and he wanted me to form words.

"Yes, Jake… I want… _fuck!_... like that… more, please…" At that, he adjusted his arms and I felt his fingers slide along my wet pussy as he dragged his teeth across the surface of my nipple. _More, more, more, more…_ "God, Jake! _Upstairs! Now!_"

He took hold of me again and made his way up the rest of the steps to his bed. The room was more like a loft than anything else and it was huge. Huge, open, and peaceful. I was snatched from my observations when I felt myself being lowered to sit on the edge of his mattress as he kneeled before me. He ran his hands delicately over my thighs as he looked deep into my eyes. His hands made it to my inner thighs and nudged my legs apart, I hoped he was planning on what I thought he was. Without breaking our gaze, he dipped two fingers into my opening, pumped in and out a few times, and curled his fingertips over my G-spot which he was simply magical for finding. He then brought his fingers to his mouth and sucked on them as his eyes closed and took in a deep breath.

"Jesus, Rose, you taste so good. I need more, love. Please?" I nodded quickly as I placed my hands on his shoulders for support. His hands drifted over my hips and outer thighs as he licked at nibbled at my inner thighs, inching closer to my center steadily.

"So sweet, Rose, so good." Finally I felt his hot tongue lick the entire length of my folds and up to my clit without touching it, my whole body shuddered from the contact and I whimpered out loudly. Damn it with the teasing! I knew it would be better in the end but the anticipation was killing me. As his tongue continued working, his hands reached up and pressed my forearms down to the mattress forcing me to recline while resting on my elbows. He then lifted one of my legs to rest over his shoulder, his other hand reached up and massaged my breast and teased my nipple as he finally licked my clit lightly.

"Fu… oh my Go… holy… uuuuh…" A deep hum escaped from his chest and the vibration on my clit almost sent me over the edge. I fell onto my back, slapping my hands onto the mattress and gripping the blankets into my fists.

"Uh uh, Rose, look at me. Don't look away." I lifted myself up again in time to see him lap at my clit hungrily and insert two fingers into me. I let my head fall back but quickly brought it back like he wanted. His fingers curled into my G-spot again and I could feel the fire building in my belly and spreading steadily.

"Oh Jake, I'm close, sweetheart. Holy shi…" He added a third finger and started to suck firmly on my clit. As he did that, I could hear the roar in my ears and the electricity in my fingers and toes as I came violently.

"So beautiful, Rose. So sweet." He came up quickly, hooking both of his arms under my knees and slid me toward the center of the bed as he stalked to hover over me. I wrapped my legs around his waist firmly and pulled him toward me, desperately wanting him to fill me. He kept his eyes locked with mine as he teased my opening with the tip of his cock. Damn, Jake wins the award for restraint.

"Jake, I want you inside of me. _Now, Jake!_" That did it. He thrust firmly into me with a loud growl and I dug my fingertips into his hips urging him on. I had never been filled so completely before, we seemed to fit perfectly. Our bodies writhed in synch bunching the blankets around us as his breath and thrusts came quicker. It was a glorious friction and I could feel that fire build up inside of me again. I had a feeling that the sound of his voice would make me come harder.

"Talk to me, Jake… tell me.. how… uuuh, fuck…" He whimpered and buried his face into my neck and steadied my hips as his pace quickened.

"Heaven… there's a… fire… in heaven… Rose… _Rose…_" Just as I thought, he blew my mind again. I truly thought my body would explode from our coming together. He pressed into me further once more and stayed like that for a while as our breathing and shuddering slowed. Eventually, he came to lay beside me pulling me to face him, and nuzzled his face into my chest above my breasts. His hands held me tightly to him and I let my hands drift lightly over his skin, kissing the top of his head occasionally. The haze lifted slowly and I was able to start processing what had just happened. One thing stuck out in my mind. _There's a fire in heaven._ Wow. Jake was deeper than I had ever thought. And his tenderness was such a stark contrast to the control he held over his sister and others in his tribe that I had witnessed earlier today. Just then he cleared his throat and ran his hand up and down my back, planting small kisses on my skin.

"Rose…" Was he being shy? Now? Uh oh. This better not be bad. Because I'm still throbbing in my tender parts here and I didn't want to lose that.

"Hmm?" Spit it out, Jake. He lifted his head and adjusted himself to be face to face with me.

"Rose, I love you. I'm so in love with you." He just puts things out there, doesn't he? Absolutely perfect. Because I've been feeling the same way for a while now. He rested his forehead against mine and rested his hand behind my neck. I snuggled into his body and took in his scent.

"I love you too, Jake. You have to know that I do." He nodded, smiled slightly, and returned to his spot in my arms holding me tightly to him. I loved that we gave each other strength instead of just one person taking it from the other. It was unlike anything I had dealt with before. And I looked forward to every second from now on.


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own Twilight, Stephanie Meyer does.**

**Ok, don't kill me. I know it's been a crazy long time since I updated this one but would it really be my life it there wasn't drama involved? That would be a resounding "NOOO!"**

**So a bunch of stuff comes out in this chapter. Hands up if, after you read, you want to tackle Jake in a huge Jake-hug! Sigh.**

**Enough with the teasing. Get reading! **

**Thanks to those of you who reviewed, keep them coming!**

JPOV

"C'mon, Jake, it'll be fun. Plus, I think it's time we met _your Rose._"

It was hard to say no to Sam. He was the one person I could confide in most up until I met Rose. He couldn't identify with the pressure that had been thrust upon me but he was the only one who saw what it did to me first hand. Sam kept me grounded when I rebelled against the initial expectations of my lineage and he supported me when I started my garage. I owed him so much more than just showing up to Emily's baby shower/BBQ.

"Ok, Sam. I'll talk to Rose about it. Say hi to Emily for me."

We eventually ended our conversation and I sat on the couch in my office contemplating the meet and greet at the BBQ. Part of me was concerned that everyone would be consumed with meeting Rose that it would overshadow Emily's day. Hell, who was I kidding? I wanted to keep Rose to myself. She represented the life I wanted away from the life I knew I had to lead. My brain felt like it was being torn in three directions now. Dedication to the tribe, commitment to my career, and desire for a life with Rose. But Rose was filling me with a strength that I didn't know I had and it was definitely unexpected. For the first time, the concept of handling all three at once materialized in my head. Sure, it was for only a fleeting moment, but still. That concept had never even _existed_ before I met Rose.

I plopped into my office chair, leaned back, and grabbed my cell from the desk. The voice on the other line sounded frenzied.

"Hi, Jake… _holy shit…_" I heard a loud thump and Rose exhaling violently. Uh oh.

"Rose! Are you ok? Rose?" I panicked until I heard her groan mixed with her signature giggle.

"Oh. My. Gosh! _My ass!_ I just slipped on horse diarrhea. I hate my job right now." She continued to laugh as I heard her struggle to stand. The image I had in my head was really disgusting. Being anywhere near large animal shit was not my idea of a good time and it floored me to imagine Rose in that sort of environment. But her laughing continued and it made me smile. Anyone who could laugh at something like that was golden in my book.

"Should I call you later? Do you need to clean up or something? Horse diarrhea… that's gross, Rose." She giggled at me and her voice lowered, speaking sensually into the phone.

"You mean me covered in shit doesn't turn you on, Jake? Damn, there go my plans for tonight." She took in a deep breath in through her teeth and whimpered. "I had such high hopes…" I was immediately disgusted with myself because just the sound of her voice was making my pants tighter even though now she was laughing whole heartedly. Never mind the fact that Rose was streaked with horse shit. She still made me crazy for her. Amazing.

"Damn it, Rose, I'm so hard right now. Even with the shit. My God, you are a very, very mean person!" I held my head in my free hand, willing my ridiculously large menace to take a break. She just hummed into the phone.

"Mm, really? Well I'm headed for the shower right now… I have to change my scrubs and, oh my, I don't have a change of underwear with me! I guess I'll just have to not wear any…" The only sound I could generate was a high pitched squeak. My erection was back in the game, and it was in it to win it this time! She giggled some more, the temptress.

"Seriously, Rose, I… you're so not helping! You have a shower there, I don't! I think I'm gonna die… uuuhh…" She hummed again.

"You're not going to die, my love. Just breathe. I love you and I'll talk to you soon." And she hung up. _Seriously? _I can't leave the office like this but I can't just sit here either. I let my head fall down to rest on my desk as I pressed my palm over my erection, willing it _again_ to behave. It wasn't going anywhere any time soon but it was heading in the calmer direction at least. Rose was killing me and almost causing me physical harm!

About an hour later, there was a knock at the door and I was irritated to say the least. I had been on edge, watching every minute pass by. I just knew it was going to be Paul and I was ready to pounce.

"It better be good!" Bring it. Just bring it. I was actually looking forward to drop-kicking Paul out the window. The door creaked open and a flash of blonde hair broke me out of my rage. Rose slipped into my office and softly clicked the door shut behind her. I looked at her, stunned. She was wearing a fresh pair of scrubs that hugged her every curve, her hair pulled back into a tight pony-tail, and an innocent expression graced her beautiful and angelic face.

"Oh, Jake, why so cranky?" Just then, there was another knock at the door and I wasn't interested in seeing anyone else at the moment. Rose continued to walk slowly toward me and I couldn't take my eyes off her. I yelled toward the door.

"Go away! Never knock on my door again!" Rose smirked at me and continued toward me still. The knocking continued as well.

"So, Jake, what did you want to talk to me about earlier?" As she spoke, she pushed my desk chair back and snuck under my desk, pulling the chair back under the desk after her. Holy shit. This couldn't be happening, could it? Rose slid her hands up and down my thighs and I could feel her warmth between my legs. And that damn knocking!

"Jesus, _go away!_" I heard Rose whimper in protest and I looked down at her in surprise.

"Come on, Jake, let him in. You're the boss and all. It's called professionalism." At that, she started to unbutton my jeans. I was supposed to think while my Rose was kneeling under my desk out of sight? Between my legs? About to do what I really hoped she would do? I was right. I was going to die.

"Fine. What?" The door opened slowly and Jasper walked in with an amused look on his face. All the while, Rose slowly peeled the front of my jeans down and I felt her warm hand slightly touch my cock. I jumped but tried to play it off, hoping he wouldn't make too much out of it.

"Hey, Jake. So… anything _new?_" I knew he meant Rose, especially seeing her in the shop. I was counting on him not noticing that she walked in but sure as hell hadn't walked out yet. I felt Rose's hot breath through my boxers and I took a deep breath in knowing I had to either make this the shortest conversation ever or try to stifle myself. That was going to be hard. I had always been very vocal and this entire situation made me so turned on, it was unreal. Just the circumstances of it were ridiculous. But here I was. There Jasper was. And, oh yeah, there Rose was. I knew I had to keep my responses short if I was going to get through this at all.

"What do you mean?" Rose released my cock from my boxers and stroked it gently with her hand. I adjusted myself in my seat to give her better access, scooting toward the front edge of my chair.

"The blonde. Isn't she the one Emmett had his eye on?" Emmett? Who's Emmett?

"Oh yeah. Rose Hale." She kissed the tip of my cock then, licking the pearl of precum off that I was sure had to be larger than usual.

"So? Are you guys dating or something? How come I haven't heard anything about this, man?" Seriously, I didn't want to discuss it at the moment. By this time, Rose was swirling her tongue around the tip of my cock and I desperately needed her to take in more of me.

"Uh, yup… mmm, yes, dating. No, more than dating. I _love_ that woman." She took all of me into her mouth just then and I gasped, trying to play it off as a cough. _Jesus, Jake. You have to get Jazz out of here!_ Well you tell me how to because I can't think right now. Jasper looked at me surprised.

"Love? You _love_ her? When did this happen? How long has this been going on? Christ, does Emmett know? He'll die. Is _she_ even aware of this, man?" When Jasper said that, she swirled her tongue around my shaft and trailed her teeth along as she sucked back toward the head of my cock. Yeah, I had to get Jasper out of here. Like now.

"Oh my God, with the questions! Yes, she does. Actually, I have to, uh… make some calls… Emily's baby shower… a gift… _shit!_" Rose was taking me into her mouth deeper and faster now, one of her hands tightening her grip as she stroked at the base of my cock and the other reached up to stroke my balls. _FUCK OFF, JAZZ!_

"Ok, ok, no need to get testy. I'll leave you in peace. But I need details. Seriously. We're getting a beer later and you're telling me everything." _Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit…_

"You got it. See ya… _fuck!_ Could you… lock the door on your… way out? Thanks…" The door finally shut and I gripped her arms, stopping her. I quickly slid from the chair falling to my knees and pushed the desk forward about two feet giving us more room. Adrenaline was coursing through my body like a freight train because that damn desk was heavy the last time I tried to move it. Now, it was like sliding a box of tissues across the top of a well waxed coffee table. My lips crashed into hers as I took her face in my hands. She pulled my body close to hers and she massaged her belly against my cock. I pulled her to standing with me and I guided her to sit at the edge of my desk, our hands frantically gripping each other and pulling at random pieces of clothing. She resumed stroking me with her hand as I helped her remove her scrub top. I then kicked off my jeans and sucked the skin at her neck into my mouth. She took in a sharp breath and let out a deep hum at the pain. She liked it. My Rose liked a bit of pain with her pleasure. My hands were now dedicated to her and to removing those darn scrub bottoms. After I did, I let my lips brush across her lips as my fingers drifted over her center. She wasn't joking when she said she would have to go without wearing any underwear. Her stroking faltered but I didn't care. I dipped my fingers into her folds and reveled in how wet she was for me, allowing my fingers to be drenched by her. She licked my lips with her tongue and rocked her hips into my hand, one of her hands now running through my hair, tugging on it slightly. I whispered against her lips.

"Who knew you were going to be such a handful, Rose?" With that I inserted one finger into her opening. I continued whispering.

"Hmm, more, I think. Yes?" Her breathing was picking up and I added a second finger and she whimpered.

"No, no, Rose. I had to be quiet, now we _both _do. Shh…" And I added a third. She stopped stroking all together, not being able to coordinate herself at all with what I was doing to her. I licked her lips this time and she opened her mouth immediately, our tongues stroking each other's as if that was all we had to survive. I reached down and circled her clit with my thumb, I could feel her whole body shiver and she slammed her hand down onto the desk to keep from crying out.

"Being quiet includes not damaging my office furniture, y'know…" I took her nipple into my mouth as I continued to work her with my hand. She started to whisper.

"Jake… zelim… zelim te… _sada!_" Huh? She started to claw her fingertips into the skin at my shoulder blades, her juices starting to pool on the desk.

"Please, Jake, I need you now! Please… molim… molim…" Ok, mental note. _Ask her what the hell she was saying after this!_ I removed my fingers from her opening and she took them greedily into her mouth savoring her own taste. Holy crap, that was hot. I stabilized her hips and entered her swiftly with one quick thrust making us both whimper a bit louder than we should have. I moved to silence us both by taking her lower lip between mine and losing myself in her kiss and the glorious sensation of being inside of her again. My God, she was heavenly. So warm and slick, and tight! She was clamping down on my cock for both of us and it felt amazing.

"That's right, Rose. Hold onto me. Keep me inside, love. Don't let me go." Then her muscles _really _kicked in and I knew I wouldn't last long at all with her doing that. But it was so good. It felt so unbelievably good. I rested my forehead on her shoulder before I panted into her ear.

"Shit, Rose, yes… I'm going to cum, my love. You're too perfect. It feels so good to be inside you, baby…" I moved my thumb to slide across her clit and pinch it slightly. She rocked her hips faster now and her frantic breathing in my ear seemed to cheer me on. My thrusts came harder now and her entire body started to quiver, I knew she was close too. Our hands gripped each other's hips and we both watched where we were joined until our orgasms started to overtake us. When they did, we held each other's gaze and screamed out together in strangled whispers. Not allowing ourselves to cry out seemed to make the orgasms last longer and by the time our bodies started to settle, we both looked tortured and bewildered. I was still shaking from the intensity of what just happened, not wanting to leave her just yet. She apparently felt the same because she used her legs around my hips to pull me closer to her and keep me inside. This was officially one of the best feelings ever, just to be inside of my Rose.

"So, Jake…" She arched her back brushing her breasts against my skin sending chills throughout my body, making my cock jump. My hands automatically slid down to the small of her back and held her hips close to me.

"You called earlier today. What about?" She leaned forward to kiss my neck and trail up toward my ear, licking my ear lobe. I called her? What's today?

"Oh yeah. Emily's having a… a BBQ…" She started to take my ear lobe between her lips, sucked on it, and then nibbled gently. I could feel her breath on my ear and neck and I could feel myself getting hard again.

"_Christ, Rose!_ Um, a baby shower. We're invited. _Oh my God, that feels awesome… Damn it!"_ She rocked her hips once and I moaned, forgetting that we had to be quiet. The guys had to have heard that one. Shit.

"Shh, Jake, remember? Sorry, you just feel too good to let go. Mmm, _yes!_ _Fuck!_ Is it a… BBQ or… a baby shower? Oh my God…" Her hands were on my hips encouraging me with each slow thrust.

"Both." I pressed my lips to hers firmly and wrapped the hair of her pony tail around my hand, pulling her head back slightly. She gasped and smiled.

"This Saturday at eleven. Are you free?" I continued to hold her there as I licked and nibbled at the skin of her neck, her fingernails dug into the skin of my low back and I thrust into her firmly loving the feeling.

"Anything you want, Jake. I'll do anything you want." I released her hair and looked her in straight in the eyes, maintaining my slow pace.

"Mmm, don't tempt me, Rose."

On our way out of the garage, Rose walked in front of me and held her head high as all the guys just stared. She turned to look at Emmett as she passed and wiped the corner of her mouth with her middle finger while she reached back with her other hand to take hold of mine. _Yet another reason I'm in love with this woman. She doesn't hide much._ Emmett's jaw practically hit the floor and Jasper laughed out loud so hard, he actually fell off his stool. Emmett threw a greasy rag at him in anger, but most likely in embarrassment, which only made Jasper laugh harder. He wasn't used to being passed over for another guy. Especially me. I guess I should have talked to him about it but I didn't really feel obliged to acknowledge his previous advances toward Rose. He had been just plain rude and Rose was none too pleased. Besides, I kinda thought Emmett needed to be put in his place for once. And Rose was more capable of doing that for herself. I loved it.

RPOV

I don't know what came over me, honestly. Maybe it was learning that just the sound of my voice did things to him. I don't know. But it made me feel powerful, that's for sure, and I wanted him to be at my mercy. Maybe it was hormonal. Phase of the moon? I have no idea. But I went after that man like a stalking animal. He didn't seem to mind that much, thankfully. And it was great seeing the looks we got from the rest of the guys at the garage, especially Emmett. I wanted to make it clear that Jake was more of a man than all of them put together. I was pretty sure I got my message across because Emmett looked beyond insulted.

The BBQ. The baby shower. Whatever it was, I was nervous. What exactly do you wear to a BBQ/baby shower in La Push? Are there certain expectations? A dress code? I'm sure that if there was something special required, Jake would have mentioned it. Oh fine. Casual but nice casual. White skinny jeans, light green cashmere slouchy sweater, and simple wedges. Hair up? Hair down? Hair up? Hair up in a loose bun at the nape of my neck. Ugh, why was I so nervous? _Hell, you know why, Rosie. You know there's going to be more scrutiny over you because Jake is the rightful tribe leader._ And I'm not one of them. I'm not Quileute. Fuck that. You know why? Because Jake wants me there. And if anyone doesn't like it, they can suck it. Damn, I hope they like me.

Jake and I pulled up to Emily's place and I was ridiculously nervous despite all the positive self-talk that I had learned in those group sessions. Jake picked up on my anxiety because he took hold of my hand before we exited his truck and brought it to his lips for a soft kiss.

"You have nothing to be nervous about, Rose. They'd love you whether I was here or not. You are a treasure. Remember that." Wow. Once again, exactly what I needed. All my fears seemed to melt away and I was left in a warm and fuzzy haze. I turned to look at him and brushed my fingers against his cheek.

"You always know what I need, Jake. How do you do that?" I really wanted to know! But he just smiled and leaned into my touch. It was like he could feel my emotions.

'You have my heart. Didn't you know that? I won't let you down, love." I leaned into him and savored our closeness before I brushed my lips against his gently. Our tongues met only briefly as if to confirm what was said and settle the conversation. Deep sigh. Jake was an amazing man. I never thought meeting someone like this was possible and I was pleasantly proved wrong.

We walked toward the house, the smell of BQQ wafted through the air and I was instantly starving. Laughter and animated voices seemed to dance from everywhere, and the a joyful atmosphere helped to calm me as well. I saw Leah through the front door and she walked outside to meet us. She seemed calm and happy, which was a relief to see, and they hugged. Leah almost disappeared in the hug because of the ridiculous difference in size between them. Jake kissed her on the forehead when they broke the hug and I finally saw that beautiful smile grace her face. I must be genetic. She then turned to me, embraced me tightly, and whispered in my ear.

"I'm glad you're here, Rose. I'll make sure you meet everyone if Jake gets pulled away for something. You won't be stranded." Holy shit! Her too! How did they always know what to say? It's like Jake and Leah had a secret line of communication that I wasn't aware of. I felt Jake step up close behind me, wrap his arms around my waist, and rest his head on mine. Leah just smiled at us.

"Ok, love birds, let's do this. Dad has the tri-tip going and he's going to do the honey drizzle thing. It's gonna be awesome!" And the hunger factor just went up by about a factor of 20.

We entered the house with Leah leading the way, Jake stayed close behind me and I could feel his heat on my back. It was a huge comfort, I could tell you that. And, as expected, all activity and conversation screeched to a halt when we entered the room. All eyes were trained on me and all I wanted to do was climb into a hole. Jake stepped around from behind me and took my hand in his. It was amazing to watch this silent exchange take place. It seemed as if it was all happening in slow motion - all eyes followed his hand toward mine, their eyes widened when we interlaced our fingers, and their then eyes returned to me. Their general defensive stance was gone, but the skepticism remained. Ugh, this was going to be a long day.

The previous activities resumed and Jake led me around the front rooms of the house, introducing me to those closest to him. And, who I'm guessing, were important figures in the tribe. Regardless of what Jake said, I felt humbled around them and I had an overwhelming need to whisper around them. They all greeted me warmly and took time to ask me about myself. Feeling so at ease with them, the elders, my anxiety about the rest of the day vanished. Also, it wasn't lost on me that once the rest of the guests noticed our little conversation, the skeptic glances diminished. Leah appeared next to me and made our excuses to take a spot outside. She walked me out to a two-person bench swing that had been attached securely to one of the large trees outside. We sat in silence for a while but I could tell that there was a lot on her mind.

"What is it, Leah?" Her eyes were focused on something in the distance but I could tell that she really wasn't looking at anything in particular.

"I love my brother." Ok? Where was this going? But I wasn't going to back down from this conversation topic.

"I know you do, Leah. So do I." She let out a soft but unsmiling chuckle. Uh oh.

"Jake cares about you, Rose, I know that. Everyone can tell. And that's a great thing! It's been a while since he was this happy." But…

"But I swear to Christ that I'll fucking kill you if you break his heart too." Woah. Alrighty then.

"I have a feeling you should start telling me a story, Leah." I preferred getting the whole story from Leah rather than an abridged one from Jake, and I hoped I wouldn't regret this decision.

"Her name was Mona LeCrese. She and Jake were together for about five years and none of us liked it. He was happy, though, so we couldn't say anything about it. There was just something about her that we couldn't put a finger on, but she didn't seem… constant. Does that make sense?" She turned to look at me, searching for understanding. And I did. I couldn't imagine anyone not adoring Jake. His soul was too beautiful to do that to. I nodded in understanding at Leah, wanting her to continue.

"Before they even met, Jake had never accepted who he was expected to be. He never wanted it. The thing is, though, that he's the perfect person for it. Jake has that natural leadership quality in him, he was born that way. He's just fighting it. His way of escaping the expectations thrown at him here was by starting his shop." Things were slowly starting to make sense now and my thoughts were immediately redirected to the day I had met Leah for the first time. She saw his shops as a way to abandon his tribe. Oh boy.

"Then he started dating _her._" Wow, the claws on Leah were almost starting to pierce through her fingertips! Remind me to always keep myself in check around her. She certainly wasn't someone you piss off.

"Sure, she won us all over in the beginning. And he was happy. Like he is now." She looked me square in the eye when she said that. I was suddenly feeling a bit ill.

"Five years went by and she became one of us. We treated her like family because we believed in Jake. We all hoped that, with a stable home life, he'd reconsider the role he was expected to fill. It only drove him further from it. We hardly saw him when they were together." No wonder Leah is so protective of Jake. Not only did the tribe lose out on having their rightful leader, but she was losing her brother too.

"Then, she left. Just picked up and left him. Turns out, she never stopped loving her ex. For five years, the entire length of their relationship, she was still in contact with her ex while he was in jail. Can you guess the length of his jail term, Rose?" My stomach flip flopped as I whispered.

"Five years." The idea was beyond me – to use someone like that. Especially someone like Jake! Now _I_ wanted to track down this hussy and teach her a thing or two.

"Yup. Five years. She just needed someone to support her while that other guy was out of the picture for a while. Jake had no idea. He didn't want to believe Mona could do that. He was so in love with her. When she left, it broke him. He poured himself into his shops and almost abandoned the tribe completely." My heart was breaking for Jake. What a horrible thing to have to go through, especially while having to deal with his responsibilities to the tribe as well. It must have seemed like his world was crashing down. Having his shops probably saved him. Now I understood the skeptical looks I received when we first arrived. How the hell was I supposed to prove myself to them? To Jake?

"All I know is that I care deeply about Jake. I love him, Leah. The most important thing to me is his happiness and the only thing I can do is to support him in whatever he decides to do. It isn't my place to direct him one way or the other. But, like I said," I turned to hold her gaze this time feeling my own claws start to emerge.

"Whatever decision _he_ makes, I will support him." We sat there looking at one another, both of us holding our ground.

JPOV

Baby showers are painful. Thank goodness they made this into a big BBQ as well because there was no way in hell anyone would catch me near one of these things again.

I wasn't nervous about how people would receive Rose. I knew that as long as I was there, she would be treated with respect. Initially, there were disapproving looks for bringing in another outsider. I also recognized a bit of disappointment. Whatever. If I was going to come anywhere near making a decision regarding taking my place as the tribal leader, I'd do it in my own time. It wouldn't do them any good to have someone who was half-assing their way through the motions, would it?

After I introduced Rose around a bit, Leah took Rose to introduce her to the ladies of the res. I was relived that Leah was making an effort to be accepting of Rose. Especially in public. It meant a lot to me and I had to make sure to remember to thank her for it in the next private moment we had.

I caught Sam's eye as I walked toward the kitchen looking for a beer and he followed me. He looked happy and content when others were looking at him, but his expression turned more serious as he came closer to me and we were alone.

"It's good to see you, Jake. I see things have changed in your life. Care to share?" Sam was perceptive – taking in the tentative reception Rose and I received when we arrived, the interest that Leah and the elders were taking in Rose, my protective stance around her. It was hard to keep much from Sam.

"Her name is Rose Hale and I'm in love with her. Do you think I should have to say more than that?" He smirked and clinked beer bottles with me.

"You know I don't need to know more than that but it's not me you have to contend with. There's been some talk, Jake." Yeah, no shit. It didn't surprise me even though I had no clue about the details.

"What have they cooked up this time? She uses the animals from her clinic in animal sacrifices? She's a witch? Oooh, better yet, a _vampire_?" He didn't look amused.

"Jake, this is serious. You've resisted your rightful role as leader for a very long time, your last relationship with an outsider didn't end well and it even pushed you further away from the tribe, you extended your business to Port Angeles (even though I don't think there's anything wrong with that, but they do), and now you're in another relationship with an outsider. Take a step back and try to see it from their perspective. They see you abandoning your responsibilities and are starting to look elsewhere for leadership." Woah, what? They'd oust my Dad?

"Sam, they can't do that. What about Dad?" I was getting a sinking feeling in my gut.

"Your Dad's getting older, Jake, you know that. Why do you think he's been pressing you so hard to take your rightful place? He's ready to be done with it! He's played his role. It's your turn to step in, man." Everything was spinning in my head. I had my own dreams for myself but I didn't want to let the tribe down. I never did. I didn't want to disappoint my Dad either. But with the shops and now with Rose, what would I do? What _could_ I do?

"How could I balance it all, Sam? How could I balance it all and give everything my full attention?" He shrugged at me and took a long swig from his beer. I really wanted to talk to Rose. She had become one of the few people I trusted to talk to about these things honestly. Damn, where was she? I need Rose.

"Wait. You said they're starting to look elsewhere for leadership. Who are they looking to?" His eyes drifted to the floor and then he looked me square in the eye.

"Me." Well goodnight, nurse. "Yeah. So, like I said, it's your turn to step in. Figure something out because that sort of redirection would definitely rattle the whole reservation. Please think about it. For everyone's sake." I _really_ needed Rose now. After Sam returned to his guests, I stepped outside to look for Rose and I found her sitting on the back swing with my sister. As I got closer to them, I could tell they were having a serious conversation. When I was almost upon them, they both looked ready for a war of words. Uh oh, let's break this up and get out of here.

"Rose, something's come up. Do you mind if we take off early? Leah, what's going on?" Neither of them were taking their eyes off each other and it was starting to freak me out. She finally reached out to take my hand and placed her other hand over Leah's.

"We'll talk again soon, Leah. We're on the same side, remember that." She then stood to join me and we walked out toward the truck after we said our goodbyes to everyone.

"What was that all about with Leah, Rose?" I was worried I would have to have another talk with my sister. Why couldn't she just play nice?

"Oh, you. She loves you, Jake, and she's concerned about you. She also shared a story with me that I think should have come from you in your own time." Shit, what did Leah do now? I looked at her questioningly and she whispered one word.

"Mona." I could feel the blood drain from my face. This was not something I had planned for. It felt like something else was added to my plate that I didn't order in the first place. Why did my sister insist on making my life more difficult than it already was? I took in a deep breath and let it come out in one long sigh.

"Well, we should talk then. Let's pick up something to eat on the way back to my place. This'll take a while." She smiled slightly and squeezed my hand in an effort to comfort me but I could tell she felt uneasy about the coming discussion. Thinking about it, though, I knew I would share it with her eventually. But Leah screwed up that time-table, like so many other things.

We lumbered into my house and Rose set up our insane amount of Chinese food across the coffee table while I set up dinner for the boys. I don't think I envied the boys more than I did at that moment. Life was so simple for them. They ate, slept, shit, and played. Lucky bastards.

After I started some Bat For Lashes on the stereo system, Rose and I got comfortable on the floor around the coffee table and began to pick at the food. How the hell was I even going to start this conversation? How far do I go back? Do I give her the short version? No, Rose deserved more than the short version. I must have looked uncomfortable because she spoke first.

"It's ok, Jake, you don't have to tell me if you're not ready. I don't want you to feel forced to tell me anything." Damn, I loved this woman. I couldn't believe that I was lucky enough not only to have met Rose, but to have her in my life.

"No, love, I should tell you. I want to tell you. Everything." I took several deep breaths and a couple pulls from my large glass of ice water.

"Ok, I should really start at the beginning because everything weaves in and out of everything else." Another deep breath.

"My father, Billy Black, is the tribe leader. Just like his father before him, and so on. While I was growing up, Dad would take me with him to all the meetings, tribal debates, and discussions. He told me all the legends and the history of our people. He was grooming me to replace him one day." I paused to take a bite of food and figure out how to continue.

"When I turned sixteen, he started to include me in the decision making process for the council and in the enforcement of those decisions within the rest of the tribe. My friends started to look at me differently, treated me differently. I felt honored to be involved so much in the inner circle of the tribe but I found that I was losing a life of my own. The more my _responsibilities_ were pushed toward me, the harder I pushed back. I wanted a life of my own." This whole time, I had been looking down at me feet and playing with the frayed hems of my jeans. When I finally looked up, Rose was leaning up against the couch and had her caring eyes trained on me. Her food remained untouched.

"The time for me to take my father's place came when I turned eighteen. By then, I was at the height of my resistance to the whole idea. That's when I started to put my shop together. I started out small, just me and Sam. But eventually, it became Black Dog Motors. And it was something of my own. It was my life. My own life. And because I wasn't taking to the leadership role in the tribe, Dad had to stay on. The council was worried. This kind of thing had never happened in the tribe's entire history. Everyone was in a holding pattern, almost, to see what I was going to do. A part of me felt bad, but the other part felt like I was drowning. Like I had to do everything I could to keep my head above water." I put my plate of barely touched food back on the coffee table, having lost my appetite. Rose remained in the same spot.

"That's when I met Mona." God, do I have to talk about this? About her? This is going to be like ripping off those butterfly strips with rusty pliers just as the edges of the gaping wound were starting to graft together. Fuck this. I started to stand up.

"I'm getting a beer, Rose. You want one?" She nodded silently as I grabbed two Newcastles out of the fridge and fished my keys out of my pocket for the bottle opener. She took it slowly and took a long draw before licking her top lip and pulling her knees to her chest.

"Man, where was I?" I knew damn well at what point I was in my story but I was just dreading having to say it out loud.

"Mona." Shit. She was paying attention. _Pussy!_

"Yeah, Mona. Mona and I met at the sporting goods store in town. She looked _totally_ lost… anyway, I fell hard and fast. She encouraged me to pursue expanding my shop and dedicating my life to that. Looking back on it, she was interested in the money it would bring in. See, she was in accounting and I went to her for help with the books." Rose gasped quietly, held her fingers to her lips, and shook her head in shock.

"The guys at the shop noticed that the cash flow wasn't matching the increased work load and tried to tell me but I was totally blinded by my love for her. She could do no wrong in my eyes." Getting all this out actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, now that I was doing it. I knew it was because I was telling it to Rose. I had no hint of defensiveness or shame. It was just me sharing part of my life that no one else had heard. No one knew my side because I never felt comfortable telling anyone. She pulled her hair out of the bun at the back of her neck and ran her fingers through it. A flash of warmth shot through me and I felt almost lightheaded. It didn't feel like there was another person sitting across from me. It felt like she was an extension of myself. I had never felt that before and I couldn't tear my eyes away from hers.

"Jake, are you ok? Do you need to stop? You don't need to tell me any more if you don't want to…" Yep, this is real. This is totally happening. Was there anything more than love? Anything more intense than love? Because that's what I was swimming in.

"Sorry, Rose. You just make me feel so… I don't even know. You're making this so much easier for me than I ever though possible." She smiled slightly and scooted closer to me, taking my hands in hers and kissing each of my fingers.

"Like you said, _you have my heart_. Anything you need, love. Do you need to stop?" I moved my hand up to run my finger gingerly across her cheek trying to memorize the softness, the warmth, and the feeling of her smile at my touch. She settled one elbow on a couch cushion and the other on my knee. My whole body hummed.

"No, I'm ok." I took another deep breath and continued the story while looking her directly in her eyes.

"It went on like that for five whole years. I pulled away from the tribe, my father, and my friends more and more. The shops suffered. But I didn't see any of it. All I saw was her. I was stupid. Beyond stupid. Then one day, she was gone. There wasn't a fight to speak of. There also wasn't a note, voicemail message, text. Nothing. She even scoured the place clean. All of her stuff was gone, any picture with her in it was gone, even the food she liked was gone. The shower was scrubbed, all the bedding was gone. She took the pillows. There wasn't even a stray hair anywhere. _Anywhere!_ It was like she erased herself out of my life completely. I was frantic! She always told me she didn't have any family so I didn't have anyone to contact." Rose looked like she was going through the same pain I had.

"A week later, Leah had to bail Quil out of jail in Port Angeles when she saw Mona picking up her ex from the same jail. Let's just say that it didn't exactly look like an unhappy reunion." Rose closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and let it out in a long sigh.

"Quil had to pry Leah off of Mona. That was after Leah had broken a bone in Mona's face and ripped out some of her hair." That made me smile every time I thought about that. Just the visual was entertaining to me. It wasn't that I liked the idea of Mona being hurt, but the idea of Leah going ape-shit on a someone as poised and elegant as Mona made me laugh. Rose's eyes opened wide and she tried to hide a smile as well.

"Yeah, I'm learning that I should never get on the Leah's bad side. Jake, I'm so sorry. I can't imagine the pain and abandonment you must have felt. It's just mind blowing to me." I knew she would understand. I just knew it.

"So I had to endure the _I told you so_'s from everyone on the reservation. Especially those on the council. Slowly, I took part more in the tribe but I still find it hard to give up my life. After Mona left, it's what kept me sane. I can't imagine being without it." Rose was now running her fingers through my short hair and massaging my scalp, occasionally tracing a finger around my ear.

"Jake, why do you have to give the shops up? Do you think there's a way for you to do both? I know your shops are an integral part of your life but… so is the tribe. I hate to see you pulling yourself apart, love." And there it was. I remember that thought had flashed through my mind once but I never was able to hold onto it. And she said it as easy as breathing. I shook my head in frustration, not knowing where to go from here.

"I have no idea how to even begin doing that. What would they expect from me? I think I might know how I can stretch myself with the shops but taking the lead role with the tribe is so big. So massive. I wouldn't know where to start, Rose." It felt like I was pleading with her, begging her to help me keep the shattered pieces of myself together.

"Would you like my advice?" I would take any ideas at this point. This couldn't go on. I whispered.

"Please, Rose." She turned to face me directly.

"Why not talk to your Dad and the council about keeping both responsibilities? Ask them for their advice. They obviously want you. No, they need you, Jake. And I think you need them as well. There's nothing wrong with asking for help. No one else should be involved in this decision. No one else on the reservation, not your friends, and not me. Just know that whatever you decide, your true friends and loved ones will stand by you. That includes me too. I'll always be here for you, Jake."

Slowly, all of the conflict and indecision was no longer shackled around my neck. It was still there, but it felt like it was packaged neatly and stored off to the side for me to deal with later. As much as I hated to admit it, I _couldn't_ do this on my own. I needed help. And rather than pulling my life apart like Mona had, Rose was helping me collect the pieces so I could start holding them together. She couldn't do it for me, I knew that. But just her presence gave me the strength to give it a try.

She leaned in to kiss my forehead gently as she ran her fingertips down the side of my face and neck. I closed my eyes and took in her scent and warmth, and caught her neck with my lips. She tasted sweet and I couldn't stop trying to take her in. As I continued to claim her neck, she moved to straddle my lap with her thighs and ghosted her hands up and down my arms, whispering.

"It's going to be ok, Jake. Everything's going to work out…" Our eyes finally met and I was in awe of her. She was my angel. She touched my lips with one fingertip and whispered again.

"Do you trust me?" With that, she rocked her hips only slightly but my cock sure as hell noticed. I wrapped my arms around her and tried to take in every sensation, finally resting the side of my face on her chest.

"I do, Rose. You have to know that I do." She let her head fall back as I nuzzled my face into the crook of her neck. "I love you so much, sweetheart. So much…" Her hands were now trailing over my neck and shoulders, her thumbs lingering on the skin behind my ears. Holy shit, I loved that! That brought a serious whimper out of me and I didn't care. Everything she did to me set me on fire and I couldn't stop myself any longer. I needed to feel her lips against mine, her body pressed against mine. My body needed to feel the way I felt inside. I just needed Rose.

RPOV

It was a tense ride home from the baby shower. Well, let me restate. _Jake_ was tense on the ride home from the baby shower. There were so many things I wanted to ask him. How did he and Mona meet? Did she really pull him away from the tribe like Leah had said? How much did Mona really have to do with his apprehension about taking on his leadership duties? But I knew I couldn't ask those questions. He had to tell me in his own time. And I hoped he would tell me tonight because I was dying to know.

Regardless of my nosiness, Jake looked tortured. He didn't look angry or unsure of himself. He looked _scared_. I knew that look all too well. Especially if it involved discussing someone from the past whom you cared for a great deal. At one time, at least. Talking about all that put you right back in that moment and you relive it all over again. Not just the events, but the emotions. The pain. The destructive and dangerous thought processes. It took me a long time to be able to talk about James in that way without sinking right back down to where I was after he left. I have my bad days, obviously. But, with the help I've gotten, I have the tools I need to look at things rationally and not let myself be consumed again. This was different, though. Jake hadn't had anyone to talk to about these things. He had to do it all on his own. I wouldn't doubt it if the fear from the Mona situation seeped into the rest of his life too. That sure would explain a lot.

We arranged ourselves around the coffee table with our food and sat on the floor. He started telling me about how he was groomed to replace his father and all the pressure that went along with it. And then I realized something that I had been missing something this whole time. Everyone started to look at him differently, treat him differently. That's what he didn't want. The isolation. His shop was his way to keep some control over his life, to make his life his own. Then Mona came into his life and she took him further from his responsibilities. Like he was going to argue! Jake most likely chose not to see that Mona was stealing from him and manipulating him. But when she left and he found out that she had used him too, that was it for him. He closed down and focused on the one thing that he had control over – his shops. But now, all the responsibilities are coming at him full force, requiring him to deal with the situation and make some hard choices. Honestly, though, did he have to _choose?_ Or could he just make adjustments to accommodate everything he was passionate about? When he finally looked like he was about to crumble into little pieces and lose himself into the carpet, I offered my advice.

"Why not talk to your Dad and the council about keeping both responsibilities? Ask them for their advice. They obviously want you. No, they need you, Jake. And I think you need them as well. There's nothing wrong with asking for help. No one else should be involved in this decision. No one else on the reservation, not your friends, and not me. Just know that whatever you decide, your true friends and loved ones will stand by you. That includes me too. I'll always be here for you, Jake."

I thought I saw him immediately start to glow from the inside. There was definitely hope in his eyes and I was thrilled to witness it. Right in front of me, was a man. An imposing looking man who no one would agree to take on in a fight. Here, also, was a man who was the rightful leader of a strong and proud group of people who depended on him to take his position. But the person in front of me was scared. The events in his life built up over time into this huge ball of unresolved angst. Then this news about the council looking to Sam for leadership instead was the final straw for him. Even though the one issue on it's own isn't earth shattering, that one last nudge sent him over the edge. It's like trying to park a Honda Fit into a compact parking space that already has a Hummer parked in it. That shit isn't happening. Every issue had to be teased out and dealt with individually. Like he had said earlier, _everything weaves in and out of everything else._ He was finally seeing that it didn't have to be that way. Things didn't have to be that complicated.

I wanted to comfort him. I hoped that what I said helped him and I had a feeling it did. He looked more calm now, almost relieved. I leaned in to kiss him on the forehead and he was burning up from all the emotion and tension. He started to kiss my neck but I wanted to make sure he knew that I was devoted to him, that I would always stand by him and support him no matter what. So I moved to straddle his hips and tried to calm him with my fingertips on his arms. I told him that everything would be alright and that things would work out because I knew they would. Things had a way of doing that. They tended to work out for the best.

I asked him if he trusted me to be there for him and adjusted myself on his lap. His cock jumped against my center and, though it wasn't my intention, I wasn't opposed to it either. The way he held me in his arms and the way he spoke to me made me feel like he wasn't being drawn to my body, but drawn to _me_. The person inside. And that was better than a quickie any day. I rocked my hips again, more delicately but with actual purpose this time and I felt myself start to drip just with the quiet long groan that growled out from his chest. Knowing that I had that effect on Jake, considering everything that he was, made me feel lightheaded with power. But tonight couldn't be about my power over him. This shouldn't be about power at all. This should be about sharing our love. And I wanted that now, so badly.

His lips met mine softly, our kisses and tongues intermingling in time with the slight rocking of our hips. He brushed his fingertips over my face as he looked into my eyes and whispered.

"Rose, that time… at the shop… mmm… " Oh yeah, I remember that. My lips traveled to his jaw and up to pull his earlobe into my mouth and gently between my teeth.

"_Oh my God_… you were saying something. I couldn't… _shit_… I couldn't understand. Zel-something?" Damn it. He caught that. I slowed myself and brought my face to be square with his.

"_Zelim te sada_ means 'I want you now.' _Molim_ means 'please.' Sometimes it just comes out, it's Croatian. I didn't mean to throw you off." I nudged his nose with mine and his tongue reached out to lick my parted lips, his arms tightened around my waist increasing the friction between us.

"Mmm… say something else, Rose." Really? Croatian wasn't exactly a romantic sounding language but whatever. The man asked.

"_Li mozda mislili na svijetu za mene_… you mean the world to me, Jake. You are my everything." His hands searched my body more firmly, his fingertips digging into my hips to pull me closer to him. I could feel his warm breath on my chest and neck as he lifted the hem of my shirt. I removed it quickly and my bra followed soon after, Jake pulled us to lay on the floor with me on top of him after he unzipped both my jeans and his.

"_Moram se osjecate protiv mene…_ I need to feel you against me. _Molim_, Jake. _Molim…" _Apparently, the whole foreign language thing was doing it for him because he almost ripped my jeans trying to get them off of me. When our skin did finally touch, we both hissed at the contact.

"Tako dobro, Jake. _Fuck!_ So good, love…" With that, he rolled us so he could be on top of me and proceeded to pin me to the floor. His mouth hovered over mine and we shared each other's breath while he slowly brought my leg up and secured it with his shoulder.

"You do something to me, Rose." His head descended down my chest, his tongue trailed down my stomach, and his hand massaged the inner thigh of my other leg. _Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!_ I loved when he took control like this. He ran his fingers delicately up and down between my wet folds and didn't avoid my clit like he usually did. It had been throbbing already just waiting for attention and he came through. One finger entered me slowly as his tongue circled my clit. A second finger entered and both then curled up to pull gently at my G-spot. I gasped loudly and tried to grab anything to stabilize myself but nothing was there. My hand then instinctively reached for his hair, pulling it slightly, and holding him in position at my center. This made him add a third finger and suck directly on my clit, my fists now pounding into the carpet. The feeling was so intense, it was insane. He then came up to kneel upright in front of me, still working me with one hand, and now kissing the inside of my ankle of the leg that was over his shoulder. His fingers were digging into my hips, his teeth were dragging over the skin of my ankle and something new was happening in my low. His fingers weren't pulling hard, but they were pulling rhythmically and in time with his thumb on my clit. I felt a warm burning feeling with an almost uncontrollable pressure, almost like I had to pee. This was the worst time for my urinary system to kick in. _Really? You have to pee NOW?_ I pushed at his arms with an uncertain look on my face.

"Jake, wait, I… _oh my God_… I need to… stop, I feel like…" He just smiled and nodded at me.

"I know, Rose, it's ok. You've been shooting a little for a bit now, just let it go. Cum for me, love." Wait. I've been _what?_ I can squirt? I'm a squirter? Porn stars squirt. I thought you had to practice to be able to do that kind of thing. And I've been doing a little for a while now? What the hell. If I'm going to let myself do something like this for the first time, I couldn't imagine myself doing it with anyone else. I let it go. And holy crap, did it _go!_ This had never happened before. No one else had been able to bring this out of me. This is so weird.

"That's it, Rose, relax and let it go for me. I want to see you, Rose." I let everything go and it was heavenly. His thumb continued to work on my clit and as I stopped gushing, he entered me in one swift movement. I was officially losing my mind. It was numb and I didn't care one bit. I could feel more liquid seep out of me as he continued his rhythmic thrusts and he pressed his thumbs down onto my hip bones, sending electric shocks through my body with another orgasm. I tried to say something but words were beyond me at this point. My voice just came out as a strangled cry. His thrusts kept coming as he lifted both my legs up straight but crossed them in front of him. He secured my legs together with one hand and stabilized my hip with another. This time, it was Jake who wasn't able to speak. It sounded like a tortured sob but it wasn't sadness on his face.

"My God, Rose, I'm… I'm gonna cum, love, I'm… _Fuck!" _I wasn't far behind, I can tell you that much. To feel him inside me, to see his face, and to hear the sounds that were coming out of his mouth and chest did me in. We laid there for a while still gripping each other tightly and trying to slow our breathing. My mouth was so dry but I didn't seem to care at that moment, to be honest. It was crazy how perfectly matched we were. Not just emotionally but physically as well. Obviously.

"_Koja je nevjerojatna_, Jake. That was amazing." After that, I was at a loss for words.

"You're going to have to teach me some of these words, Rose. I'm sure they'll always sound better coming from your beautiful mouth, though." Hmm, well I'd have to work on that. That was a part of me that I'd have to work on digging out for Jake. I knew the time was coming soon for me to do that, considering everything that he had shared with me tonight. But now wasn't the time. Now, I just wanted to enjoy our closeness.

"I'll do my best, love. I promise, Jake." It _was_ a promise. I didn't want to keep anything from him. But there was so much, I honestly didn't know where to start. But it would be soon. He had to know.


	6. Chapter 6

**I don't own Twilight, Stephanie Meyer does.**

**Thanks bunches to everyone who reviewed! I appreciate y'all hanging in with this story. This chapter is going to be hard, we learn a crap-load about Rose. And thank goodness! She's been a walking mystery for too long. But don't hate me for what you find out. No pitchforks please. **

JPOV

The next few days felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I ended up talking to the council members about my dedication to the tribe but concerns regarding maintaining the life and career I had built for myself. I was expecting a fight, to be honest. I had expected them to make me choose. But they didn't. They were glad I had come to them and actually impressed that I wanted to try to do both. Needless to say, I walked out of that meeting feeling like a new man. And I had Rose to thank for it and I let them know that. I made sure to tell them that it was Rose who wanted me to keep everything that I loved close to me, and that included the tribe. I wanted them to know that it was possible for an outsider to have respect for the traditions of another culture – one so different from their own. As much as I wanted to keep Rose for myself, I realized that I wanted them to know what an incredible person she was and that she was important to me. They apparently took the meeting very seriously and planned a tribal meeting down at the beach. That only meant one thing – it was going to be big. Great. I hoped it wouldn't freak Rose out. I knew she wouldn't have anything to worry about especially if word got out about what the meeting was for. I just hoped all the attention wouldn't freak her out.

Later that night, I met up with Rose for dinner at the coffee shop by the animal clinic. I loved the place because they served breakfast all day if you wanted it. And, honestly, sometimes you just felt like having breakfast for dinner. Tonight, I had a hankering for eggs with biscuits and gravy. I know it will probably kill me one day but whatever. It's good. At least I'll die happy.

"So, Rose, what are you doing tomorrow night?" Yeah, just _try_ and be completely nonchalant about breaking this news. She looked at me and whispered playfully.

"I don't know, Jake, what _are_ we doing tomorrow night?" Sigh.

"We are going to a meeting down at the beach. Everyone's going to be there." That sure as hell piqued her interest. She put down her grilled cheese sandwich which signaled complete attention diverted to the conversation at hand.

"What's this meeting about?" She started to swirl a French fry in the pool of ketchup she had made.

"Well… I met with the council and we talked everything out. Arrangements have been made and the transfer will be final after I continue to meet with them and Dad for a few months. So, the meeting is to bring everyone up to speed. It's more of an excuse to get everyone together and BBQ anything that can possibly be BBQ'd down on the beach. Are you ok with going with me to that? They actually requested that you come." She looked at me stunned but she wasn't saying anything. Is she choking? I'm CPR certified…

"So you're actually going to try to make everything work together?" I didn't really recognize the look she gave me next. A sort of bewilderment?

"Uh yeah. Rose, are you ok? You look…" She stood up as best she could, reached for me across the table and held my face gently in her hands as she kissed me.

"I'm so proud of you! I'm excited that things are starting on the track you want! Oh, Jake, this is great. How do you feel about this?" Just seeing her excitement made me look forward to starting this new chapter in my life. I needed to do everything I could to make her a part of it.

"I feel pretty good about it. I had made some assumptions about taking the leader role that I shouldn't have. I won't be doing things alone which is a relief. Everything's going to work out, Rose. You were right." She smiled widely and I couldn't help but smile myself. Her smile faded a bit when she spoke.

"You said that they requested that I be there for the meeting… why?" She looked like she was afraid she was about to get in trouble. Like being called into the principal's office.

"I told them that you were an integral part in my trying to making all the different parts of my life work together. They know that you're a part of me so they want you there as well. The women of the tribe play an important role as well, Rose." Now that look I knew. Shock. I don't think she was expecting to hear that the council considered her as one of us.

"It's not just because I love you, Rose, or that we're together. They want you there because of what kind of person you are and what you've done for me. That means more than anything." I continued to eat my breakfast for dinner but it took a while for her to resume eating her sandwich. The rest of the meal was pretty silent except for the occasional whispered, _wow_.

Rose and I packed a few blankets and a cooler with some marinated kabobs that she had prepared into the cab of the truck along with all our boys. For sure, the dogs couldn't miss this. Once we got close to the beach, Rose got a feel for the extent of this gathering. Cars were parked along the highway for what seemed like miles and small groups of people trailed their way toward the light of the bonfires that illuminated the sky from behind the bluffs. Her eyes widened and she brought the fingertips of one hand to touch her lips as she whispered.

"I hope I made enough kabobs…" Classic Rose comment.

"There's going to be more than enough food, everyone always brings more than necessary. Besides, you're going to be the belle of the ball tonight. Not your kabobs. Even though they did look amazing." A genuine smile crept across her face but she couldn't hide her apprehension about tonight. It was amazing to me that an incredible person such as Rose could be nervous about meeting people who were looking forward to meeting _her._ But, as much as I loved her and as much as I knew I wanted her in my life, there still was a great deal that I didn't know about her. The first thing that shot to my mind was that nightmare I witnessed her having. There was some serious pain in her past. That might be part of her fear for tonight. All I _did_ know was that I would do everything I could to make sure she was as comfortable as possible and at ease throughout this get together.

We pulled up in an area close to the beach that so wasn't meant to be parked on but that's what trucks were for. Right? I grabbed the cooler and Rose leashed Godric and Eric. My boys went free because they knew everyone already, knew the area. I had a feeling that the leashes wouldn't be needed after about five minutes but Rose always erred on the side of caution. Such a good citizen.

Needless to say, we sure got a lot of immediate attention as we made our way across the sand toward the largest bonfire where the council members were gathered. Godric and Eric sensed Rose's tension and kept their protective positioning around her throughout. My Dad was the first to approach us and the boys let out a low growl. Rose loosened her hold on their leashes and massaged the tops of their heads making them sit on either side of her, allowing my Dad to come closer.

"You must be Rose. Beautiful dogs, so devoted. That says a lot about you. My name is Billy. Billy Black, Jake's tyrant of a father." He smirked at me as he made that last comment and reached out to shake Rose's hand.

"I don't think so, Mr. Black. Jake has never said anything close to that about you. It's an honor to meet you, sir." Dad wasn't used to this kind of respect from strangers, that was for sure. The thing was, it was truly genuine. Just as everything coming from Rose was genuine. Damn, I loved her.

"Oh please no! Mr Black was my father and he's been gone a long time. Call me Billy. Have you met anyone from La Push yet?" I stepped closer to Rose and settled my hand gently on the small of her back and I noticed her body start to relax slowly. Dad noticed too making him smile slightly. They continued their conversation as I just enjoyed being close to her. All I wanted to do was hold her in my arms and never let go, to feel her body next to mine. That's how I felt the safest. The most whole. Wow, this was really taking me over. When was this meeting thing going to be over?

A few hours went by and people were slowly tearing themselves away from the crazy amount of food that had been put together for tonight. My Dad called everyone to quiet down and listen to the announcements about me eventually taking the leadership role. It made me smile when all the council members mentioned Rose in their speeches to all of us. I snuck a look at her out of the corner of my eye and she was blushing, embarrassed by all the attention she was receiving. All I noticed, though, was the way the glow from the fire lit up her face, and the way her grip on me tightened every time they mentioned me and my importance to the tribe. She was proud of me. Taking on the leadership role in the tribe would definitely take more of my time away from her but her support never wavered. She knew it was part of me. Something I was born to do. And she refused to stand in the way of that. She didn't want to change me. Seriously, I needed to get Rose home.

We were on our way home, finally, after we got the boys packed up and said our goodbyes. She was setting up the iPod for the stereo and started to bounce in her seat when Puscifer's "DoZo" dripped out of the speakers. Now this was the Rose I knew – confident, happy, smiling, and a closet dork. I took her hand and kissed her fingers one by one until she brought her fingers up to brush against my cheek.

"You looked so comfortable out there tonight, Jake. More at ease than I've seen you look with others in a long time. I'm so in awe of you right now. You're a strong man." By this time, she was turned completely in her seat to face me, her hand now drifting over my arm and down my thigh. _Jackpot!_ My jeans immediately got tighter and I covered her hand with mine, not guiding it but just following her.

"How fast can your truck get us home?" I smirked and whispered as I floored it.

"Pretty damn fast, babe. Pretty damn fast." We got to our turn-off at Icehouse Road and her thumb was already rubbing against the side of my cock. She brushed over my center and I growled willing my truck to go fast up the steep grade toward our houses. I started to slow once we got closer to my place but she whispered into my ear before she licked my earlobe taking it between her teeth and sucking gently.

"My place, Jake. Let's go to my place." Ok, fine with me. We continued to barrel up the road to her place but I slowed making Rose whimper in protest. By this time, she was sucking on my neck and letting her hand wander over my chest. But what I saw parked outside her place snapped me out of all horniness. She sensed my change in demeanor because she looked toward her house as well and immediately threw herself back in her seat, using her legs to push her way backward even though there wasn't anywhere for her to go. Her breathing picked up and was quickly on it's way to hyperventilation, all the color that had filled her from the inside was completely gone. She. Was. Terrified. I looked to Rose for an explanation but she just shook her head, her widened eyes filling and spilling over with tears. What the hell?

I looked back at the truck that was parked in front of her house to see what I could figure out. It was an old blue Toyota single cab truck with a small lift, the bed had military duffle bags thrown in it with a wire-haired hunting dog standing at attention, a small skull with feathers for hair hung from the rear-view mirror, and the two stickers on the back window of the truck made my blood run cold as well. The first was the Marine Corps seal, and the second was the insignia for the Third Battalion Seventh Marines. Complete with Kabar. _Shit._ The driver was out of his truck and pacing in front of the entrance to Rose's house, on his cell phone, but closed the phone quickly when he noticed my truck pull up.

"Rose, what…" She just kept shaking her head slightly gripping the interior of the car, her white knuckles practically glowing in the darkness. Every once in a while, she would whisper.

"James… James… James…" Holy crap. This was James? The guy from her nightmares? How the hell did he find her here? Yeah, now was not the time to be grilling her on things like this. I moved to exit the car but she quickly reached out to keep me inside with her. I had never seen her like this… awake, and it broke my heart to see her this petrified of one man. I had no idea what exactly their history was other than what I heard from her talking, or sobbing, in her sleep. But I wanted to face this guy. He was on my territory now and he was torturing my girl whether he knew it or not.

"It's ok, Rose, lock the doors behind me. I'll find out what he's doing here." I got out and let Eric and Godric into the extra cab of my truck so she wouldn't be alone. They could sense something was up and were relieved themselves to be closer to her.

James saw me as I approached and I sized him up pretty quickly. For a Marine, he wasn't that big. He was a couple inches shorter than me, muscular but not outrageously so, and a few tattoos extended out past his wrist from underneath his jacket. Other than that, he looked pretty harmless. So I figured I'd talk to him to see what I could find out.

"Hi there, can I help you?" In my eyes, always start with polite. It's on them if they take it anywhere else.

"It's none of your business, beaner. Take off." Ok, that wasn't polite at all. Add in a racial slur! That's fabulous. And it didn't even apply… what an ass. What did Rose see in this guy?

"Well, if it's about the lady who lives here, then it _is_ my business. What's your purpose here, James?" I think that threw him off. It seemed he wasn't used to getting attitude flung back at him when he dished it out. Plus, I knew more about him than he knew about me. Sure, it wasn't much, but it was still more.

"Where's Rosie, man? I'd like to speak with her if that's ok with her body guard." I really didn't like this guy. And it still blared in my brain, _what did Rose ever see in this guy?_

"She's safe, but she really doesn't want to speak with _you_. So… leaving would be a good idea." I whistled and my boys ran up to my side taking a very aggressive stance toward James, just begging him to make some kind of stupid move toward me. I redirected them to wait at the bottom of the steps for me and they whimpered like I was teasing them with a hot meal. James looked down to his feet, shook his head, and smiled slightly.

"Ok, man. How about this? I'll wait in my truck. You tell her I divorced Victoria." He reached into his back pocket and fished out some legal looking documents. His voice softened.

"Tell her that I'm sorry and I wanted her to hear it from me. I don't want to hurt her or upset her. I just want to talk to her. Will you do that for me?" He actually looked sincere and handed me the documents to show Rose. I looked at them and they definitely were official divorce papers. Oh boy. This was a whole new can of worms that was about to be busted open.

My mind reeled. Here was a guy who had hurt Rose so badly that she screamed and sobbed in her sleep. The effects of that time still evident in her insecurities. Do I protect her? Or do I let her face this? She wouldn't be doing it alone, of course. But, just like she had helped me with my decision about the tribe and trying to make everything work, I knew I had to help her deal with her past. Even if I had no clue about what it was. Shit. Rose is gonna flip.

James was true to his word as he got back in his car and locked his doors. I walked slowly back to Rose who was locked in my truck and her eyes were closed, but I could tell she was doing that pursed-lip breathing thing – in through the nose, out through the mouth. Eric and Godric were resting their heads on her and she had visibly calmed down. Great. And here I was to stir the pot again. I whispered from outside through the closed window.

"Rose, honey?" Nothing. She didn't hear me. I knew if I knocked on the window she'd freak out. So I went around to the driver's side and opened the door by sliding my key into the hole. That way she'd know it was me. She was still startled but not as bad. She looked at me as if I was about to tell her the world was going to end in five minutes.

"I talked to him…" She cut me off.

"What the hell does he want? How did he _find_ me here? I was so careful. Why is he here? Why? Why? _Why?_" I wanted to tell her that he was an evil man who followed her here by scent and would be torn to bits and lit on fire at my next free moment. But I didn't.

"He gave me these to give to you… he said he's sorry, and he wants to talk to you." She took the papers like they were laced with poison and read them quickly. As she did, she brought the fingertips of her right hand up to meet her lips and I watched them slowly start to quiver. I reached over to brush some strands of hair out of her face and the quivering lips turned to straight out crying. She threw the papers onto the dash and ran her hands roughly over face and back into her hair. Now she looked pissed. She let her head fall back against the head rest of the seat and said softly.

"Why?" More tears fell silently and rolled down her cheeks. Then she scared me with an outburst I'd never witnessed from her before as she screamed.

"_Why now, you fucking asshole? A few years too late!_" She was sobbing now and then whispered through her gasps for air.

"_Don't ruin this too…_" Holy Christ. She slowly composed herself and stared out the window deliberately keeping her gaze from James and his truck. She looked at me calmly but it was a side to Rose I wasn't familiar with.

"I can't talk to him now, Jake. I know I'll fall apart and I don't want to give him the pleasure of witnessing that. I just need to prepare myself before I can face him. Could you give these papers back to him for me, please? Also, could you ask him to give me a couple days? Thank you, baby." Every word that came out of her mouth was carefully chosen and measured. It didn't sound like Rose. It's sounded like a script that she had practiced over and over for years. Perhaps it was. What she said next, though, was what floored me.

"Be nice to him, Jake. He might be a dick on the outside, but deep down he's a good guy." Seriously? She wanted me to be nice to this jack-off? Ok. How about this? I wouldn't rip his heart out through his throat _tonight_. But he'd know that I wasn't going to make his visit to Forks easy on him.

I took the papers and walked back to James's truck and he rolled down his window.

"So? She saw the papers? What did she say?" He honestly thought that seeing those divorce papers would be a sun-shiny revelation to her.

"Well… I'll just skip to what she asked me to tell you. She needs a couple days before she can talk to you. I hope you can honor that." He actually looked remorseful. I didn't know what to think about this guy. He took the papers and started his truck.

"I appreciate your help, man. Giving her a couple days is the least I can do for her. I know I hurt her. There's nothing I can do to take that back but I'd like to try. Seeing her like this breaks my heart…" He paused and took a few deep breaths. Then he continued.

"I'll be staying at the Inn in town. James Drake. I didn't catch your name." He reached out to shake my hand. Uh… huh? I shook his hand before I could think twice about it. But there was something about him that told me not to torch his truck.

"Jake Black." That's all I could get out, I was stunned.

"Nice to meet you, Jake. Catch ya later." He backed up and headed down the road, Rose deliberately looking the other way and playing with the dogs. Damn. This was sure turning into one hell of a cluster-fuck.

I didn't even ask, I just drove us all back down to my place and held Rose close to me as we walked inside. She was still shaking slightly but determined to stay strong. It seemed really hard for her so whatever happened between her and James must have been horrific for her to be affected this way. Once I got her settled on the couch with a blanket and her boys at her feet, I went back outside to unload my truck. My boys came inside as well and circled the living room knowing that something was up, eventually each taking seats by the front door and doors out to the patio. They were guarding the place. I started some hot water for her tea which I kept a box of for her in my kitchen. Personally, I wasn't a fan of hot tea. Iced? Yes. But not hot. That shit was nasty. But I knew how she liked it so she got a great big mug of hot peach tea with a bit of lavender honey. She took it and smiled sweetly but I could tell she was still lost in thought. I desperately wanted to know what had happened and what was rolling around inside her brain but I refused to push her. I figured she'd tell me in her own time.

"Would you like some of those meringues you like with your tea, Rose?" Yeah, yeah. I kept my place stocked with those too. What? She liked them! She shook her head and turned to look at me and smiled sweetly again.

"No thanks, love. Just the tea is fine. And it's perfect. Thank you." Um, ok. I didn't know where to go from here. So I just made myself some coffee and took a seat next to her, snuggling up close to her under the blanket and putting my arm around her shoulder. She didn't snuggle back, she just sat there drinking her tea slowly and quietly. Maybe she wanted some alone time? Shit, I don't know what the hell she wants! Usually I didn't have to ask because she always made things very clear. But this didn't seem to be the real Rose I was dealing with.

Then I felt her start to tremble slightly and I noticed her shoulders starting to cave in on themselves. Silent heavy tears were streaming down her perfect cheeks but she didn't look angry, hysterical, or hurt like she had earlier. She looked exhausted, like she was surrendering after a long hard fight.

"I'm sorry, Jake, seeing James has just thrown me off. I don't mean to be… _this_, but I just need time for things to sink in. I just feel _numb_." Crap. _Do it, Jake, just ask. You won't know if you don't._

"Would you feel comfortable… what… can you tell me…" Yeah, that's good, freak. Unintelligible dumb person speak.

"You want to know what happened." She just said it matter-of-factly as she looked down into her tea. There was no emotion in her voice, nothing. Again, it was like she was reading a script.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to or if it's too soon…" She finally turned to look at me and her expression softened. Thank God. For a while there, it felt like I was dealing with a stranger.

"He came off like a jerk, didn't he?" She smiled slightly, her gaze now returning to her tea as she shook her head.

"A total ass.. in the beginning." She nodded.

"He always does. To strangers. Anyone who questions him. He's used to people ditching him so he automatically goes on the offensive with someone new. Scare them off before they have a chance to weasel their way in. It's such a ridiculous front because he's really not like that." Was she defending him? Now? At this point, I decide to get comfortable because this was sounding like the beginnings of a _long_ story. I backed into the corner of the couch to face her directly and got ready to listen.

"I met him through his mom, Renee. We worked together, she was a traveler at one of the clinics I worked at down in southern California. She was older than me but we became fast friends. We were both single and decided to join one of those on-line dating sites." The idea of Rose needing to get dates by going on-line made me laugh to myself. I couldn't believe she needed to go that route! Not only was she beautiful, but she was smart and funny, independent, and loads of fun. It didn't make sense to me.

"When we both were having dismal luck, I jokingly suggested that I should print out a thousand 8x10' glossies of myself and have her son, James, post them all over the base with my number on it. She actually e-mailed my picture to him to show his friends. I found out later that he kept the picture for himself."

"He was fresh back from his second tour in Iraq and was due to be honorably discharged at the end of the year. One Friday, Renee caught me at work and asked me to go with her to pick James up at Twenty-Nine Palms so he could spend the weekend at her place. Any place but the base." She finished her tea and placed the empty mug on the coffee table before she moved toward me and snuggled into my chest. This was a good sign. She was loosening up. We'll see how long it lasts.

"I was looking forward to meeting him, honestly. A real Marine! He was married and, from what Renee had told me, was madly in love with his wife. It was safe. I was also looking forward to seeing what Twenty-Nine Palms was all about. You hear about it but, if you don't have cause to go there, you can't gather anything from the outside. The surrounding area is just depressing. It's desert. Just dirt and sand everywhere with the occasional Joshua tree and Yucca plant defying the elements. And houses! Random houses planted haphazardly with full plastic mailboxes the only proof that a human exists there. Plus, I wanted to see the military first hand. I was anti-war but staunchly pro-military as I still am. Our guys are so kick-ass, both they and their families sacrifice so much, that I want to make sure they make those sacrifices for the right reasons. And I wanted to see our guys first hand."

"Anyway, we finally turned onto the road that led directly into the base and it was lined with barber shops, convenient stores, movie rental stores, and bars. Girls were everywhere moving in packs trying to hook a Marine. It was sad to see, really. When we finally did get close, I noticed the speed limit signs were ridiculous. _20mph, radar enforced… 10mph, radar strictly enforced._ We finally crawled up to the check point and were greeted by a teenager with an automatic weapon ready to fire if needed. Both of us had to provide every piece of identification possible… driver's license, social security card, major credit card, library card… you get the point. After we passed the background checks and the vehicle was searched by a K-9 unit, we made it on base and finally tracked James down."

"When I saw him, he wasn't what I expected. When I think _Marine_, I think large, scary, sweaty man who could kill you just by looking at you. He wasn't that at all. I mean he looked sturdy and all, you saw him. But not necessarily threatening. He was actually easy to get along with, easy to talk to. When Renee and I followed him in his car back to his barracks, she was surprised that he talked to a stranger so quickly. She hadn't seen anything like it before. I didn't think anything of it."

"We got to his room and he gushed over the latest picture his wife sent him, he had made his desolate room a home from what she had sent to him as well. Renee had told me beforehand not to ask him why he didn't have a roommate – his roommate and best friend was killed in an extremely horrifying way right in front of him. His side of the room was empty but James kept it spotless at all times, pictures of him with the rest of their team together were the only things left. I didn't mention it and didn't dare venture onto that side out of respect."

"We loaded James's stuff into Renee's Honda Pilot and headed back to her place, he drove so Renee could sleep in the back seat. I rode shot gun and he talked all the way back home. He talked about Victoria, how they met, how she saved him by giving him something to live for while he was over there, what things were really like over there, what he did both as ordered and on the record and what he did as ordered that was off the record. The things he'd done and seen were shocking. And here he was trying to return to _normal life_ after living like that for so many months. Such ridiculous expectations of these young men and women. But they do it, they're good at it, and they do it for the rest of us. Sure what he was telling me freaked me out, but I couldn't turn him away. Listening was the least I could do. So I did."

Rose took a long pause and a few deep breaths then continued. She was starting to look uncomfortable again.

"The next day at work, Renee stopped me and told me that James had never _in his life_ talked to anyone that easily and about such personal things, and so quickly after meeting them. Again, I didn't think anything of it. She also said that he seemed more positive lately after having talked to someone that wasn't family, and asked me if I would continue to talk to him to help him get things out. Of course, I agreed. It was the least I could do." Her smile faded completely and the pained look returned to her eyes.

"A few days later, I got a call on my cell from an unknown number on my way home from work. It was him. Apparently, Renee had given him my number. We ended up talking for quite some time and it went on like that for weeks. Weekdays in the afternoons and very late nights, texting throughout the day, we even did laundry together on weekends over the phone. Our bills were astronomical." She chuckled slightly at that but a smile never reached her eyes or even her lips. I could tell she missed that side of him. It made me want to track James down at the Inn and mess him up but I also felt Rose's pain. Even though someone has hurt us deeply, we can't help but remember the good things. And she was reliving those times at this very moment.

"Eventually, I started getting frenzied calls from him anywhere from midnight to 4am but I could tell something was wrong. He'd get defensive when I'd ask him what had happened, would almost pick a fight with me. Even though it was an ungodly hour and I was desperate for sleep because I had to be up early for work, I waited until he told me." She paused again and looked as though she was far away.

"He was having nightmares and couldn't sleep, very aggressive. Classic PTSD. The first person he called was his wife. She hung up on him. She said it was too hard for her to listen to his stories so she just would either hang up on him or not pick up at all. So he called me. No matter what time it was, I always listened and wouldn't let him get away with trying to be a dick. When I called him on it, he said, '_Why can't Victoria be more like you? You care for me more than my own wife does. Why didn't I wait to get married? It should have been you._'" The emotionless stare and tone of voice was back.

"This whole time, I resisted his advances – and there were a whole lot of them. I encouraged him to try harder to talk to Victoria, to encourage her to go to counseling for dealing with someone with PTSD, for him to go on base. But he was very resistant. Eventually he started moving our conversations in a sexual direction which I redirected every time suggesting he call his _wife_ if he needed some fun time. He became harder and harder to resist, but I did. Then my Grammy got sick." She looked like she was ready to cry again, but she swallowed it down, determined to get through the story.

"Everyday, I drove an hour after work to visit her in the hospital even though she was in a coma. James would call at least once a day to check on me and my Grammy's status. He kept the conversations supportive, no funny business. As her health deteriorated, we texted throughout the day. Just as I had listened to him through his hardest times, he was then listening to me. He let me talk for hours, listened to me cry… When she finally passed and we were planning the funeral, he and one of his friends from the base drove down to his mom's on their own with their dress blues ready to escort me to the funeral if I wanted them to. That's when I fell for him. And it was all downhill from there. He told me he loved me and put in applications at the Los Angeles and Orange County Sheriff's departments rather than back home in Wyoming so he could be closer to me. Then he tried to convince me to move out there, mailing me applications to clinics closest to his home. Then there were periods when I wouldn't hear from him – a week or so at a time, then I'd get a couple calls in one day apologizing and saying how much he missed me and couldn't stay away from me." Now her expression was hardening. I was nervous about where this story was heading.

"It was getting close to his discharge date and Renee had let slip that I had a date with another Marine from Camp Pendleton down in Oceanside. He flipped out and called me every half hour until I turned my phone back on and I saw all fifteen messages were from him. I called him back and that's when we had our blow up. He didn't want me seeing anyone but he got to go home to his wife. We argued and then both of us ended up in tears because he felt he had to honor his commitment to his wife even though he, his mother, and all his friends knew that he didn't love her anymore. He loved me because of who I was and because I made him want to be a better person. But he needed to honor his commitment. So he left. The last time I spoke to him was December 9th, 2006 at 1:43am." She fell silent again and I was speechless. The idea of two people being truly in love with each other but separated by a bad decision was heart-wrenching.

"We made an agreement that I wouldn't contact him out of respect for his decision to work things out with his wife. But if anything changed and their relationship ended, or if he was in trouble and needed my help, I would only be a phone call away and I would be there for him. We were friends first, after all. He agreed. Well… he ended up contacting me about every year or so just to see what I was up to and whenever one of the big brush fires got close to where I lived. And every time, I asked him if he was in trouble. That was always my main concern. I would drop everything, hop on a plane, and cruise into Casper in a heart beat. But every time, his answer would be that he was fine, he was just thinking about me. Well, what he didn't know was that I had planned a suicide attempt and my time in the hospital was spent trying to get me stronger when it came to thinking about James and what happened between us. So every time I heard from him, always by e-mail, it was like opening the wound all over again. Each time it got easier, but it still knocked the wind out of me. So tonight, actually seeing him in person transported me right back to 2006 and I lost it. I'm sorry you had to see that."

Holy. Shit. My Rose planned to attempt suicide? My Rose was in a psychiatric hospital? Why? Because he left?

"Rose, but why? Why would you…want to…" I couldn't even bring myself to say it. The idea of it all hurt me too much.

"Why did I want to kill myself? I had gone my entire life either being passed over by men or wanted only for what they saw on the outside. They ditched me the minute they discovered I had a mind of my own. But James saw me for who I was. He loved me even more because of my independence and personality aside from what every one else saw on the outside. So finally, the one person who did see me for what I was wouldn't leave the woman he didn't love anymore for the woman he did. I was alone again. I had a complete meltdown, lost 30 pounds in about six weeks for not eating, and was convinced I was driving everyone close to me completely nuts. I figured I would do everyone a favor by just not being around anymore. And now… he's in town… this town… and he showed me his divorce papers. Why does he think it's ok for him to keep introducing himself back into my life? And what am I supposed to think about those papers? What the hell does he want from me? I've worked so hard to get to where I am emotionally and he just flips all that work on it's ass. So yeah, I need to work through everything before I can talk to him, let alone _look_ at him. I'm afraid it will take me back there. To that place. To that time." Suddenly, she turned to me as if she snapped out of trance.

"I don't want to go back there, Jake. I love the life I have! I love my work, I love this place… I love _you!_ What this is… what we have… is… perfect. It's perfect, Jake. I don't want to unravel again. And I don't want to lose us." Rose looked more than worried. There was exhaustion, fear, and a serious amount of anxiety. Her spark was gone. I searched her eyes and it wasn't there. She looked defeated just by taking in her posture. I wanted to protect her. I knew I couldn't build her back up, she had to do that on her own. But I could shield her while she worked on it. I turned myself on the couch so we were facing each other squarely and took her hands in mine, attempting to maintain her gaze.

"Rosalie Hale. I love you. I love everything about you. You snore a bit when you're in a weird position in bed. Your hair has a Nikki Sixx thing going on sometimes when you wake up in the morning. You're awesome at your job. You snort sometimes when you laugh really hard. You have the most beautiful feet I've ever seen. You have the kindest gentlest heart of anyone I've ever met and I feel like I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have you in my life. Now, I can't fix anything for you, you know that. But I will be here for you and support you through anything and everything. You aren't alone, Rose. You have me to come home to. And I thank God for that every day." Her eyes started welling with tears when I started talking about her morning Nikki Sixx hair and the stream of tears just intensified from there. She leapt at me and crushed me with a hug forcing me back on the couch with her on top of me. To be completely honest, this wasn't the worst position I'd been in my life. I wrapped my arms around her and held her as she sobbed and trembled. It blew my mind to see one of the strongest people I knew totally broken like this. But I sure as hell knew no one would be able to do that to her again. Not while I was alive and breathing.

Rose stopped crying a short while after I held her on top of me but she remained there, snuggling into my side so she could wrap her arms around me too. Her fingertips were tracing patterns on my arms and chest as I felt the rhythm of her breath on my skin. I held her close and kissed the top of her head, absolutely loving this closeness. Then her fingertips started to trace patterns over my belly and kept trending downward. Oh my. Is this the best time? Should I question it at all?

"Rose…" She just hummed as she pressed her hips slightly into mine. Oh yeah, she was initiating this. And if I had learned anything during my time with Rose, it was that she doesn't back down from things like this once she starts. It was on. I ran my hand down her back and over her bottom pulling her in closer to me drawing a barely noticeable whimper from my darling girl. Any sound that came from Rose during our intimate moments were absolute heaven but even the smallest ones had the same effect on me as the loud strangled screams she let loose when she came. So naturally, my cock swelled to attention. She noticed right away and started to ghost her hand over _everything_ in the area _except_ that. I reached down and tilted her head up so I could claim those amazing lips. I could taste the salt from her tears that still remained on her lips and it saddened me, but also made me want to make her forget tonight's drama if even for just a few hours. That was going to be my mission.

I sucked her lower lip into my mouth tenderly and slowly massaged her tongue with mine. It felt right to go at this pace, to show her how much I loved her. To show her that I loved _her_ and not just her physical self. As my kisses got deeper, her hand finally started to massage my cock and I moaned softly into her mouth. I loved the way she touched me. I loved the way she made me feel when we were close like this. I just plain loved _her_ and I needed to feel more of her. I grabbed the back cushions of the couch and tossed over the back side and somewhere into the dining room so we would have more room on the couch, and then rolled us over so our positions were switched. She continued to stroke the length of my cock through my jeans and eventually started undoing my belt and button-fly. The world stood still for a few seconds and all concentration that I had planned for her vaporized. Her hand was now massaging me through my underwear, oh my goodness… skin on skin… _Wait, how did this happen? Where am I? I feel GOOD! I know I was supposed to be doing something though…_ Darn Rose and her expert manual skills! I crashed back into reality and dove into the skin at her neck. She gasped loudly at that and arched her back shoving her breasts into my chest. Heaven help me. That made me even harder and I needed to get these clothes out of our way. I pulled my t-shirt over my head and helped Rose off with her sweatshirt and tank top she had on underneath. Each time I saw her like this, she took my breath away. So beautiful. Her pink and orange lace bra made me smile because she always managed to be sexy under whatever she was wearing.

Soon every piece of clothing we had on at one point in the evening was strewn haphazardly throughout the front rooms. I wouldn't be surprised if we found some in the kitchen. I took my time in worshiping every inch of her body. Kissing, licking, and nibbling as I went, and finally arriving at her inner thighs. Rose was squirming already, her breath speeding up in anticipation. With one hand under her at the small of her back and the other bracing her knee out to the side, I sighed heavily over her center for her to feel my breath.

"So perfect, Rose." I felt her entire body shudder as she took a death-grip on the couch. So I let my tongue slide the length of her already soaked pussy then gently kissed her clit. Ok, so I knew Rose's noises. They started out higher pitched then lowered the closer she got to orgasm. Well, the sounds I was getting from her now were already on the low side. I decided to test my theory to see if it was a fluke and… it wasn't. She rolled her hips with every pass of my mouth, clawed at my skin with her fingernails, and watched me between her thighs like a hawk. Her intensity was rubbing off on me, apparently, because I was hard as a rock and my dick wasn't anywhere near her. I started to focus my attention on her clit and the fingertips of one of her hands gripped my shoulder while the other was about to rip my couch apart. Two of my fingers slipped between her folds and she let out a deep sigh, she reached for the blanket that had been tossed to the floor next to the couch and handed it to me. It took a while for me to understand why she was giving this to me but then I understood, sliding it underneath her bottom and straightening it underneath me. Nice. That only made me suck on her clit harder and search for that G-spot even harder. When I found it, I started to massage it gently and she cried out, her body trembling. I replaced my tongue and lips with my thumb at her clit and moved upward to graze the skin of her jaw with my teeth. Her hands moved to redirect my lips to hers and she devoured me, making me groan loudly into her mouth. There was so much need and urgency in that kiss that I almost lost control of myself. But I wanted to slow this down, make this last as long as possible. So I slowed my pace making her whimper in protest. Then she spoke in that small voice of hers that was hard for me to resist.

"Jake, please, I need you, I want you to… uuuh… yeah…" I kept my slow pace but increased the pressure inside of her, feeling a small spray on my hand and arm. I whispered into her ear.

"Gorgeous, Rose. Keep going, love. Show me more." She whimpered loudly as I continued the strong massage. Eventually I felt more spray on my arm and now on my belly and legs. This was the most fantastic thing ever. Her body was seriously starting to tremble now and this time, she had a death-grip on _me_.

"I'm gonna… fuck, I'm close, keep… God, yes, keep going, Jake… like that… like that… like… Jesus! _Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!_" Holy shit, the blanket was soaked. I grabbed it and tossed it on the floor, quickly entering her to keep her sensitivity up. I could still feel her throbbing on the inside and her hands were now on my hips pulling me further into her. I guess I got lost in the moment because I pushed into her harder than I ever had before, only realizing I had after the fact. My eyes shot to her face to see if she was alright or if she was angry. But she rocked her hips into me, was nodding her head in encouragement, and hooked her leg over the back of the couch giving me more room.

"Holy shit, Jake… yes… _you've been… holding out on me…_" Damn, that just flipped some kind of switch inside of me and all bets were off. She cried out with every thrust, smiling a devilish grin, and most likely drawing blood from the skin on my back with her fingernails. I wet my thumb in her juices and circled her clit in time with my thrusts. She gasped loudly and her groans started to sound more like growls. Yeah, she was close. And thank goodness because so was I. A few more deep ones and I was soaked again as she screamed out her orgasm, and that sent me over the edge.

"C'mon, Jake, let me hear you. Let me hear how good it feels." Yeah, screaming out would be much easier than trying to formulate a sentence. I planted my hands on either side of her chest on the couch, locked eyes with hers as she took hold of my face in her hands, and I choked out a strangled scream from what felt like deep in my belly. The jolts of pleasure continued longer than usual and I held her body close to mine as I rode them out inside of her. Her arms and legs wrapped around me keeping me in place as she continued to rock her hips slightly. Damn, I didn't want her to stop. The combination of the feeling of our slick skin against each other, the heaving of her chest against mine as we tried to catch our breath, and the slow rhythmic rolling of her hips was making me hard again. _Really? Was that even possible?_ Apparently it was. And she felt it, causing her to hum quietly and swivel her hips against mine. She was driving me crazy! Instinctively, I started to rock my hips pulling out slightly and then sliding in again. Her body writhed against mine and that was all I needed. We dove into a sensual kiss and then I trailed my tongue along her jaw line toward the back of her ear. She spoke softly.

"I've almost forgotten, Jake. Help me put the nail in the coffin?" My eyes snapped to hers to find her smiling widely. I swept the damp hair out of her face and thrust a bit deeper this time making her giggle and then let out a soft groan. "I love you, Jake. For so many reasons." After a few more slow thrusts, she spoke again.

"Make love to me again?" Like she had to ask.


End file.
